Fed’s Powell spoke with prankster posing as Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
“It was a friendly conversation,” a Fed spokesperson said.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spoke on the phone early this year with someone posing as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Fed confirmed — an embarrassing episode for the central bank chief.
An alleged video of Powell’s conversation was shown on Russian state television and reported by Bloomberg News. The Fed said the footage appears to have been edited and therefore could not confirm its accuracy.
“Chair Powell participated in a conversation in January with someone who misrepresented himself as the Ukrainian president,” a Fed spokesperson said in a statement. “It was a friendly conversation and took place in a context of our standing in support of the Ukrainian people in this challenging time. No sensitive or confidential information was discussed.”
The matter has been referred to law enforcement, according to the Fed.
Bloomberg identified the pranksters as Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, who secure interviews with high-profile dignitaries by impersonating other officials. Earlier this year, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde also fell victim to the Russian duo.