A prank call to Boris Johnson has triggered a diplomatic row after the Kremlin was accused of being behind the “desperate” stunt.
The Foreign Secretary was caught out by a Russian prankster who kept him on the phone for 18 minutes by pretending to be the new Prime Minister of Armenia.
Mr Johnson unwittingly discussed President Vladimir Putin and the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal before he rumbled the hoax and ended the call.
The Foreign Office believes the pranksters, who have previously caught out other politicians, made the call with the blessing of the Kremlin to “save face” after it was shamed over the Skripal attack.
A recording of the phone call, which happened last week, was put...