Meloni talks about Ukraine ‘fatigue’ in Russian prank call

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has fallen victim to a prank call by comedians who made her believe she was discussing Ukraine and EU migration policy with the chairman of the African Union Commission, the prime minister’s office said in an official statement on Wednesday.

A recording of the prank call, orchestrated on 18 September by Russian comedy duo Vovan and Lexus, was published on the online platform Rumble.

In the call, Meloni told the pranksters that Kyiv’s counteroffensive “is not going as expected and has not changed the fate of the conflict”, adding that “there is a lot of fatigue on all sides, and the time is approaching when everyone will understand that we need a way out”.

Meloni also criticised Brussels for “leaving Italy alone” when it recently faced a record number of migrant arrivals via the island of Lampedusa at the start of September.

In reaction to the prank call, Palazzo Chigi, the office of the prime minister, expressed “regret” over the “booby-trapped” phone call at a time when Meloni was attempting to boost relations with African leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly between 19 and 21 September.

“The Office of the Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister regrets having been misled by an impostor who posed as the chairman of the African Union Commission and who was put in telephone contact with President Meloni,” the note said.

Government sources added that despite the attempt to get her to say “uncomfortable” phrases, Meloni reiterated the government’s positions, albeit in the courteous tone typical for talks with representatives of foreign institutions like the African Union Commission.

Despite the provocations, Meloni confirmed full support for Ukraine and Italian policies to combat illegal immigration, the same sources added.

But harsh criticism came from the opposition, particularly from Italia Viva leader and former prime minister Matteo Renzi, who spoke of a “figurehead” for Italy and Meloni.

“Having worked a few years in Chigi, I wonder how it is possible to reach such a devastating level of superficiality (…) Enough, amateurs,” Renzi wrote on social media, accusing the prime minister of “cosmic victimhood.”

But Meloni is not the first to have been tricked by the same Russian comedians.

In a video broadcast on Russian television in April, US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell can be heard talking to what he thought was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Powell participated in a conversation in January with someone who introduced himself as the Ukrainian president. It was a friendly conversation as part of our support for the Ukrainian people at this difficult time. No secret or confidential information was discussed,” a spokesperson of the Federal Reserve confirmed in a note.

(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)