Russian pranksters call Merkel posing as Ukraine's ex-leader

FILE- Russian pranksters posed as Ukraine's ex-President Petro Poroshenko to reach Angela Merkel by phone and discuss Ukraine and Belarus with the former German chancellor. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, file)

Russian pranksters posing as Ukraine's ex-President Petro Poroshenko managed to contact Angela Merkel by phone to discuss developments in Ukraine and Belarus, although the former German chancellor appeared wary during the call.

Merkel's office said Monday that the former German leader received a call Jan. 12 from someone claiming to be Poroshenko. The conversation was assisted by a German-Ukrainian interpreter from the German Foreign Ministry's language service.