"It's Zelensky" Powell fooled by Russian comedian... "Sanctions on Russia fall short of expectations"

Jerome Powell, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed), was recently revealed to have been deceived into a direct phone call by Russian comedians impersonating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Chairman Powell praised the head of the Russian Central Bank as competent and stated that due to his efforts, the U.S. sanctions did not impact Russia as severely as expected.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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On the 27th (local time), according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others, Russian state television broadcast excerpts of a call between Chairman Powell and the Russian comedy duo Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stoliarov.

These comedians are notorious for impersonating prominent figures to deceive world leaders. They have previously called Polish President Andrzej Duda, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and former U.S. President George W. Bush. Recently, they shifted their target to economic leaders, revealing last month that they had a call with Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB).

In the released video, Chairman Powell politely responded when the Russian comedians impersonating President Zelensky asked about U.S. monetary policy, the economy, and inflation outlook. He acknowledged the possibility that the interest rate hikes over the past year could cause an economic slowdown or recession. However, his remarks were similar to those made in public settings such as press conferences.

Notably, Chairman Powell described Elvira Nabiullina, head of the Russian Central Bank, as an extremely capable and successful technocrat. Powell said that due to Nabiullina’s efforts, the U.S. sanctions were not as painful as initially anticipated.

The Fed stated that the video released by Russian state television appears to be partially edited and referred inquiries about detailed content to law enforcement authorities.

A Fed spokesperson explained, "It was a friendly conversation conducted in support of Ukrainians during difficult times," adding, "No sensitive or confidential information was discussed."

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