Merkel falls prey to two Russian callers: Stein as former Ukraine president

Russian kidnappers, who pretended to be former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, managed to contact former German cavalry Angela Merkel by phone to discuss developments in Ukraine and Belarus. Merkel's office confirmed this news Monday, though they said she was in doubt of the call.

Merkel's office said the former German councilwoman received a call on January 12th from someone claiming to be Poroshenko. The conversation was helped by a German-Ukrainian translator from the German Foreign Ministry language service.

In a media statement, the office said Merkel later briefed the ministry on the “impression she had of the caller during the 911 call, but did not provide further details.

Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, known as Vovan and Lexus, posted on their channel on the telegram some parts they claim are fragments of the call.

The duo has already put some European politicians, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andreze Duda, and then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as well as Elton John and Prince Harry, with similar calls.

In this census, Merkel is heard saying, as he has done publicly, that much of a deal criticised for Minsk's peace had given Ukraine very precious time.

Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande had brokered the peace agreement with Porosenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015. In the published census, it also criticises the crackdown on autocratic Belarus.

Poroshenko was president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. Merkel led Germany from 2005 to the end of 2021.