The writer has a master’s degree in conflict-resolution from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California and blogs at http://coffeeshopdiplomat.wordpress.co
The release of this phone call was particularly embarrassing for the US since Nuland ridicules the EU and talks about UN-backed action in Ukraine. The call was leaked amidst rising tensions between the US, Russia, the EU and Ukraine as they vie for influence in Ukraine, which is undergoing a political crisis. Ukraine has been wracked with mass protests that have turned violent since Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich declined a trade agreement with the EU and instead, opted for a $15 billion aid deal with Russia in November 2013. Historically, Ukraine has been close to Russia, but there is also interest by the people to join with Europe, and the US government is trying to broker a deal.
Nuland has apologised to the EU but her comments have given Russian officials firepower to assert that the US is overreaching and violating a 1994 treaty under which both, the US and Russia, assured Ukraine’s security and sovereignty after it gave up its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal. Russia points to the recording as proof of the US “crudely interfering” in the former Soviet republic, while the US blamed Moscow for leaking a private conversation between two American diplomats. The White House and State Department both pointed out that a Russian government official was the first, or among the first, to call attention to the audio of the conversation that was posted on YouTube. The State Department said the incident marked a “new low in Russian tradecraft”.
Playing the part of the espionage victim doesn’t generate much sympathy for the US these days, however. They were just caught tapping the German chancellor’s personal cell phone for eight years. While Angela Merkel was outraged, the US responded that such techniques were common around the world. Merkel was one of their closest allies during this time period. Nobody can blame Russia for conducting its own surveillance on a perceived adversary. While Russia blames the US for taking sides in the Ukrainian crisis and for “arming” the Ukrainian “rebels” with “$20 million a week”, the US insists that it is up to the people of Ukraine to determine their future.
However, from the phone call, it appears that the US is playing a game of chess and already has plans to replace the democratically-elected government of President Yanukovych and even has its own replacements in mind for a new government. As usual, the push for a new government is being masked under the disguise of ‘democracy and freedom’, but essentially, it boils down to reducing Russia’s influence. At this point, whatever the agenda, the tumultuous situation in Ukraine appears as unpredictable as ever. It is certainly not in the interest of the EU, the US and Russia to destabilise a critical central European nation with so much turmoil persisting in other parts of the world.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2014.
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Typical anti American rubbish - how about actually listening to the entire conversation? The thrust of the conversation was bringing the UN into the matter which would carry more weight than the ineffective/counterproductive rhetoric coming from the EU.
@Eddied: We will never know who released the disgusting Nuland conversation, but at least it was the truth, so why complain about it? Incidentally, I may be an old guy, and not quite with it in regard to the latest technology, but I have enough intelligence not to discuss sensitive items on a mobile phone in a foreign country, which I am trying to do a put down on. I will not use the Nuland word.
@Eddied: Dear Eddied, Words almost fail me, but not quite. Which Russian complaints are you referring to? I think you are getting mixed up between the words covert and overt. The US, at many levels, is constantly running both covert and overt operations. I think Mr Snowden made this abundantly clear in his 200,000 plus document release.
Russian government bugs private conversation between diplomats then releases tapes to the world?...and they are the first to,complain if America bugs them...at least the US has never made any covert conversations of diplomats public broadcasts...anyone who thinks the Russians have clean hands is wrong...
O.K,..great, fine, good,..well done.... What now,..? ..should the people in this country worry about it.? Perhaps an example, to take back the country from thugs, militants, terrorists? Doubt it. Because every one and his brother has his own interpretation of the main religion in this country. So they cannot jell, or come together in a cohesive way. And there is no charismatic great leader, like a Gandhi, a Jinnah, a Mandela in sight.