Ukraine crisis: Leaked phone call embarrasses US

Apologies if this has already been posted, I'm still learning my way around. I couldn't spot it in a search though.


It appears the KGB/FSB/Whatever they are calling themselves these days, have taken the rather unusual step of releasing a phonecall between Asst. Sec. State Nuland and the US Ukrainian Ambassador.

www.bbc.co.uk...

And the full audio tape is here:

www.youtube.com...=89


Interesting the extent to which the US appear to be deciding the next government of Ukraine, no wonder the Russians are deeply unhappy about what is going on.

And a very enlightening comment as to what the US government feels about the EU, particularly in the wake of the Snowden revelations. I think if anybody in Europe still thinks of the US government as a friend and ally, they may well be very much mistaken.

Curious though, why do you think they released this call? I can't remember security services doing something like this on Youtube so blatantly before?

reply to post by Painterz


That's almost honesty, but for real honesty it would've been "f*ck the whole world, we gonna spy on them all and use the information to our benefit and then turn the globe into a giant America"

reply to post by Painterz


I would say we have to be careful about the interpretation, you have stated perfectly correctly but the american people at the moment seem to not think there government is there own allie and even regard it as an illegitimate authority that is trying to abolish there constitution and bring in a police state, remember though the american democracy was deliberately undermined by interests both within and without through the conspirace of international bankers and these same entitys are now trying to play one side off against another while trying to tear old allies appart.
No matter what idiots either the States or Britain end up with running I for one will alway's care about the American people.
Read this,
www.taphilo.com...
And remember these were all young men with all there lives ahead of them, the best of a generation and they lay down there lives to free europe and saved britain as without the US no matter what pre war or post war differences may have formed, we would likely not be here now and there for in a very spiritual sense they are are fathers as we live from there live's along side our own lad's.
When the American PEOPLE need us, if we are not willing to help them because of a group of crooks in both our intelligence services and government's then what does that say of us.
I think the russians have done the right thing releasing this but we need to let the american's sort this out themselve's as this woman is obviously an incompetant and opinionated idiot but personally I have said the same thing about the EU many time's as I want my country back and brussels with it's immigrants out, not because of racism but because I am british and this is my country, the benefits many of them are claiming were established by our own post war generation and there children alone were meant to benefit but at the moment our own government are a group of treasonous liar's and traitor's whom have only there own financiel interests at heart and while saying one thing to the public like offering referendum's brought in the bedroom tax not to save money but to free up accomodation space for cheap foreign labour as the CBI wanted.
Of course they think we are all idiot's and maybe they are right as they are the one's in power and what are we doing about it.

I 'hope' no one accuses Obamarama for not keeping his major campaign promise of 'change' where the fabric of AmeriKa is concerned. [/sarcasm]

News Link

reply to post by Painterz

Curious though, why do you think they released this call? I can't remember security services doing something like this on Youtube so blatantly before?

To give the press something else to talk about after the epic 'infrastructure' problems in Sochi.

I bet a lot of EU politicians think the same... At least I can imagine a lot of politicians here in Germany may think like this.
New studies show, that Greek people have more personal wealth than we average Germans have and yet we have to pay them money again, because of the EU.
But this whole quote is worthless, since even a huge scandal like the NSA one can't draw a shadow on the EU-USA-relationship.
This makes me sad.

reply to post by Painterz


I found this news story hilarious based on the response of the US.

When this administration gets called out so badly for spying on others nations / leaders, they don't have the moral ground to be upset with another country listening in and exposing the conversation.

@comments about sochi - A definite possibility to shift focus.

I think the other plausible explanation might be the article just released where Russia is accusing the US of fomenting a coup in Ukraine.

So many in Europe were so afraid of our government before that they wanted us elect this bunch of idiots. Now look what they're getting, a group of people with nothing but naked contempt for them. It's really embarrassing what passes for state craft out of this administration. If the rest of the world didn't hate us before, I certainly can't blame them for hating us now.

reply to post by LABTECH767


I would say spot on! But All countries have their intelligence measures, not just the U.S.

LABTECH767
reply to post by Painterz

 

I would say we have to be careful about the interpretation, you have stated perfectly correctly but the american people at the moment seem to not think there government is there own allie and even regard it as an illegitimate authority that is trying to abolish there constitution and bring in a police state, remember though the american democracy was deliberately undermined by interests both within and without through the conspirace of international bankers and these same entitys are now trying to play one side off against another while trying to tear old allies appart.
No matter what idiots either the States or Britain end up with running I for one will alway's care about the American people.
Read this,
www.taphilo.com...
And remember these were all young men with all there lives ahead of them, the best of a generation and they lay down there lives to free europe and saved britain as without the US no matter what pre war or post war differences may have formed, we would likely not be here now and there for in a very spiritual sense they are are fathers as we live from there live's along side our own lad's.
When the American PEOPLE need us, if we are not willing to help them because of a group of crooks in both our intelligence services and government's then what does that say of us.
I think the russians have done the right thing releasing this but we need to let the american's sort this out themselve's as this woman is obviously an incompetant and opinionated idiot but personally I have said the same thing about the EU many time's as I want my country back and brussels with it's immigrants out, not because of racism but because I am british and this is my country, the benefits many of them are claiming were established by our own post war generation and there children alone were meant to benefit but at the moment our own government are a group of treasonous liar's and traitor's whom have only there own financiel interests at heart and while saying one thing to the public like offering referendum's brought in the bedroom tax not to save money but to free up accomodation space for cheap foreign labour as the CBI wanted.
Of course they think we are all idiot's and maybe they are right as they are the one's in power and what are we doing about it.

edit on 6-2-2014 by LABTECH767 because: (no reason given)

This might be the best post ever on ATS.

Indeed. If a nations people are in need....

Thank you for that inspirational reminder of our collective humanity, brother.

reply to post by aLLeKs


Germany has the Worlds Best engineers, most polite citizens, yet until they create equality they will earn sharp criticism from those within, such as your goodsself. Hope the Government one day wake up and recognise all

As for this - the UK - they are now planning to sell citizens Medical Records to the Highest bidder, anything to make more Money,,,,

Interesting the extent to which the US appear to be deciding the next government of Ukraine, no wonder the Russians are deeply unhappy about what is going on.

Russia has nothing to do with this, let them whine. Ukraine and Russia have little to do with each other aside from the fact that Ukraine broke itself into an independent nation from Russia in the 90s, with direct help from Regan.

Not to mention they were struggled to be free from the rule of about 4 counties other than Russia.

Why is The US's involvement quote "Interesting?" We are the one's who took them under our wing (or control, whatever you want to call it these days.) Ukraine is by definition a democratic state... although functioning to the extent of far from that.

I heard about this earlier and it is worry some. Ukraine is still a very vulnerable nation, and can be easily exploited and manipulated by foreign interests. They never did get back on their feet. They were never really on their feet even when they were part of the USSR.

The Media are major idiots because they make a big deal out of a small word. Saying '# the EU' is like saying 'we don't need them'. So they should lower the importance of using '# them' instead of 'we don't need them'

Firstly this is arrogant and should be done by the UN, the US are not trying to decide by themselves without the UN are they??

I do not like the disturbances in the relations US-EU lately. Heard some stuff about visas and such, EU should also not act like jerks and put ultimatum.

The real problem is not the F-word but the fact that US government is interfering with the sovereign country and Ukraine didn't even get an apology for this, but EU does for the F-word. And what interests US has in Ukraine? Why are they planning to destroy Yanukovich (btw elected official who still has majority support in Ukraine - research was made from 16.1.2014 to 24.1.2014).

Interfering in another sovereign country that does not pose any threat to US can be considered a Declaration of War by most of the world countries.

Nobody except US officials said, that recording came from Russians. Ukraine has resources and technology and it's own secret service to do that.

ketsuko
So many in Europe were so afraid of our government before that they wanted us elect this bunch of idiots. Now look what they're getting, a group of people with nothing but naked contempt for them. It's really embarrassing what passes for state craft out of this administration. If the rest of the world didn't hate us before, I certainly can't blame them for hating us now.

Mrs. Nuland is working with the foreign affairs at least since Bill Clinton, did so under Bush, too.

Oh look, she was involved in Benghazi, too: en.wikipedia.org...

I thought I'd add this here, but Reuters also picked up on this story. What a thing....

U.S. officials did not deny the authenticity of the recording and said Nuland apologized to EU colleagues for the comment.

Angela Merkel, already furious with Washington for several months over reports that U.S. officials bugged her own phone, found Nuland's remarks "totally unacceptable", a spokeswoman for the German chancellor said.

The Reuters story is about Merkel and EU reaction as much as anything.

Some U.S. officials want to threaten Yanukovich's government with sanctions, including travel bans on individuals. Many Europeans worry that such tactics could be counterproductive, driving Ukraine's elite closer to Moscow.

Source

I swear, the US policy has gone crazy. Just flat crazy.

** I just came across another article with more focus on one area:

Leaked call on Ukraine made on unencrypted cellphones -U.S. officials

Wrabbit2000
I thought I'd add this here, but Reuters also picked up on this story. What a thing....

U.S. officials did not deny the authenticity of the recording and said Nuland apologized to EU colleagues for the comment.

Angela Merkel, already furious with Washington for several months over reports that U.S. officials bugged her own phone, found Nuland's remarks "totally unacceptable", a spokeswoman for the German chancellor said.

The Reuters story is about Merkel and EU reaction as much as anything.

Some U.S. officials want to threaten Yanukovich's government with sanctions, including travel bans on individuals. Many Europeans worry that such tactics could be counterproductive, driving Ukraine's elite closer to Moscow.

Source

I swear, the US policy has gone crazy. Just flat crazy.

** I just came across another article with more focus on one area:

Leaked call on Ukraine made on unencrypted cellphones -U.S. officials

edit on 9-2-2014 by Wrabbit2000 because: (no reason given)

From your Reuters story: ""IMPRESSIVE TRADECRAFT"

Nuland, who met President Viktor Yanukovich in Kiev on Thursday, described the bugging and leaks as "pretty impressive tradecraft" but said it would not hurt her ties with the Ukrainian opposition."

Please pass the duct tape----my head----fells like I'm gonna need it if I read another one of these pieces....
They are using unencrypted cell phones for "usual briefings" and yet she calls it "impressive tradecraft" when it gets recorded and sent out to the world.... (cue up my exploding head!)
I admit to not having followed the dust-ups happening in Ukraine so I have little idea what they were discussing really, but when I listened to the call, it gave me a very deep feeling of dread to know that these people have anything to do with our policy. Yes, I know who she is from her past activities....in my mind she's one of many, many, many swamp creatures that have lived in the slime of politics so long that they couldn't survive if the swamp were drained.
I have very little respect for people who cannot express themselves without using vulgarity. I was taught that such language was an expression of ignorance and I've seen nothing to contradict that teaching. If she were an employee of mine she would be facing the unemployment line---which probably means she's destined to be our next SOS.