[REUTERS]
“The leaked conversation appeared certain to embarrass the United States and seemed designed to bolster charges – from Russia, among others – that the Ukrainian opposition is being manipulated by Washington, which President Barack Obama’s administration strenuously disputes.”
“The audio clip, which was posted on Tuesday but gained wide circulation on Thursday, appears to show the official, Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, weighing in on the make-up of the next Ukrainian government.”
“Nuland is heard telling U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt that she doesn’t think Vitaly Klitschko, the boxer-turned-politician who is a main opposition leader, should be in a new government.”
“Nuland and Pyatt are heard discussing strategies to work with the three main opposition figures: Klitschko, Arseny Yatseniuk, former Ukrainian economy minister, and Oleh Tyahnybok, the far-right nationalist opposition leader”
“Nuland referred to getting the United Nations involved in a political solution in Kiev.”
““So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and have the U.N. help glue it and you know … fuck the EU,” she said in the recording, which was accompanied by still pictures of people mentioned in the call.”
“Pyatt responded: “Exactly. And I think we’ve got to do something to make it stick together because you can be pretty sure that if it does start to gain altitude, the Russians will be working behind the scenes to try to torpedo it.””
“U.S. officials, while declining to confirm the recording’s contents, did not dispute its authenticity.”
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki “said Nuland had apologized to her EU counterparts for the reported comments.”
“Psaki also criticized Russian officials’ publicizing of the tape as “a new low in Russian tradecraft” and denied Washington was trying to meddle or engineer a particular outcome in Kiev.”
“The floating of the audio is an ironic turnabout of sorts for the United States, which snooped on the leaders of allied nations, according to classified documents made public by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.”
“Nuland met on Thursday with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich to discuss a solution to anti-government protests that have swept the former Soviet republic since November. They discussed political reform and possible further negotiations between Yanukovich and opposition leaders, his website said.”
“Yanukovich later flew to Sochi, Russia, where the Winter Olympics are due to open on Friday evening. He was expected to meet there with Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
“There was no immediate comment from Moscow, but the recording clearly plays into Russian accusations that the West is meddling in Ukraine.”
Read more: Leaked audio reveals embarrassing U.S. exchange on Ukraine, EU
Audio: Марионетки Майдана
2021-week16
