Boris Johnson has been caught in a prank call by a pair of Russian comedians posing as the Armenian prime minister. The Foreign Secretary is recorded discussing Russia’s involvement in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and offering tips to the pranksters on how to deal with Vladimir Putin. In a recording of the phone conversation posted on YouTube, Boris tells one of the duo:
‘We don’t want a cold war but we do want to see an improvement in the way Russia behaves’
After an 18-minute discussion, the call ends abruptly. The Foreign Office has confirmed that the recording is of Boris Johnson.
So, how did this security breach come to be? Steerpike understands that the hoaxer first made contact not with Johnson but with Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan. Duncan was so impressed with the caller on the other end of the phone that they were passed on to Johnson. Happily, on speaking to said caller, BoJo at least soon realised something was amiss.
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