Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught out by a prankster impersonating climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
Mr Trudeau took the call - orchestrated by Russians Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov - in January, which the pair have just released on YouTube alongside an animated video.
Fake Greta begins in earnest fashion, saying she is concerned about the “growing international crisis and“ anticipation of the third world war ”.
The prime minister says he taken “many phone calls… about the need to de-escalate” - the prank appears to have been recorded soon after a Ukrainian plane was shot down by Iran, killing 55 Canadian citizens.
The prankster says world leaders should “drop your weapons, pick flowers, smile at nature”, with Mr Trudeau praising her “passionate words”.
When the caller takes issue with President Trump, saying he is “doing everything to kill us”, the PM replies diplomatically.
"I understand your words," he says.
“My responsibility is to work with world leaders that other people choose… But I can certainly understand that people can feel very, very strongly about him.”
Prince Harry and Meghan - who lived in Canada for a while - also come up.
The prankster says she worries that Harry’s wife “manipulates him”.
Mr Trudeau replies: “I think in every relationship there are complicated concessions and compromises that are the art of living together.
“I have met Meghan a few times and she has always been lovely…”
'Greta' also tells the 48-year-old leader: “We can create a world where there is a place for everyone - for whites and blacks, Christians and Muslims, for Trump and Putin, for you and me, for Boris Johnson, for Corbyn, for Terrance and Phillip. ”
It is this latter reference to characters from animated comedy South Park that eventually makes him realize what’s going on.
When asked to set up a meeting with Terrance and Phillip, he promises to “ask my team to try and figure out how we can connect you” - before a few seconds later the penny drops.
"Wait, Terrance and Phillip, were they not in South Park?" he says.
"I don’t personally know them but I believe they are South Park parodies of Canadians."
Mr Trudeau then politely, but quickly, wraps up the call.
The prime minister’s office told Canada’s CTV network in a statement: “This is not the first prank call of a world leader. The prime minister determined the call was fake and promptly ended it. ”
In March, the Russian pair released audio apparently featuring Prince Harry himself.
French President Emmanuel Macron was also said to be the victim in another clip last year.
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Source: skynews
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