Klitschko: Talking to Giffey via "official channels" soon

Created: 2022-06-25Updated: 2022-06-25, 2:05 p.m

Vitali Klitschko speaks.

© Markus Schreiber/AP/dpa/archive image

After a fake phone call by an alleged Vitali Klitschko to Berlin's governing mayor Franziska Giffey, the real Kiev mayor is hoping for a talk with the SPD politician soon.

Klitschko told the "Bild" newspaper after learning about the fake call to Giffey and Madrid Mayor José Luis Martinez-Almeida:

Berlin/Madrid - "I hope that we will soon be able to call via my official channels." Klitschko added: "I won't need any translators then either."

During a video call on Friday, Giffey had doubts as to whether she was actually connected to Kiev's mayor as planned.

The conversation then ended prematurely.

The Senate Chancellery assumes digital manipulation: "Apparently we are dealing with deep fakes," said Senate spokeswoman Lisa Frerichs.

In Madrid, too, Mayor José Luis Martinez-Almeida quickly became suspicious of the video call with the alleged mayor Klitschko and broke off the conversation, as confirmed by mayor's office spokesman Daniel Bardavío Colebrook.

A complaint was filed against unknown persons for using a false identity and the mayor's office in Kyiv was informed.

Martinez-Almeida will call the real Klitschko on Saturday.

dpa