The Italian Prime Minister’s diplomatic advisor, Francesco Talò, resigns. The Wowan and Lexus duo also scammed Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig last year.
The prank that two Russian comedians made to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is not without consequences. Meloni’s diplomatic adviser, Francesco Talò, has resigned, the head of government said at a press conference on Friday. He drew conclusions from the fact that his office linked the Prime Minister to the comedians over the phone.
Meloni told a news conference that the incident highlighted the “superficiality” of his diplomatic office. “The call was handled carelessly,” said the head of government. She highlighted that she became suspicious after the call and reported it to her office, but no action was taken.
“This matter was not handled well, we are all sorry, Ambassador (Francesco) Talò took responsibility for it,” said Meloni. The Prime Minister stressed that she regretted Talò’s dismissal because he had worked well in his first year in office. She has made more than 80 international calls so far. During her first term, no other prime minister maintained as many diplomatic contacts as she did, Meloni explained.
Russian duo deceived Russian politicians several times
The Italian head of government fell in love with a person who claimed to be Azali Assoumani, president of the African Union (AU) and also head of state of the Comoros, as confirmed by her office in Rome on Wednesday. In reality, the Russian duo Wowan and Lexus, who deceived Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) the previous year, were behind it. They introduced themselves to him and other European city leaders such as Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Meloni’s office confirmed that such a call took place on September 18, before the UN General Assembly in New York. Excerpts of the phone call were published in Russia, for example, by the Ria Novosti news agency. The two Russians – whose real names are Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov – have repeatedly deceived foreign politicians and other well-known figures in this way.
Meloni said that with regard to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February last year, there is “great fatigue on all sides”. The phrase is reproduced as a quote: “The time is approaching when everyone will understand that we need a way out.” She also has “some ideas” about this, but she wants to wait for the right moment.