WASHINGTON — Pranksters posing as President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine tricked the chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome H. Powell, into having a dialog with them in January, in keeping with video clips coated on Russian state tv and posted on-line.
The ruse — apparently carried out by two Russian comedians who assist President Vladimir V. Putin — concerned asking Mr. Powell questions concerning the American and world economic system. His feedback seem like in keeping with what he often expresses in public.
A Fed spokesperson mentioned Mr. Powell participated in a dialog in January with somebody who misrepresented himself because the Ukrainian president, noting that the dialogue befell within the context of the central financial institution’s assist for the Ukrainian individuals. The spokesperson mentioned no delicate or confidential data was mentioned.
The video seems to have been edited, and the Fed mentioned it couldn’t affirm its accuracy. The matter has been referred to regulation enforcement, the spokesperson mentioned.
The 2 males who carried out the prank have additionally tricked different world leaders, together with Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Financial institution, and Angela Merkel, Germany’s former chancellor.
