Crosstalk: Nuland's Cookies

CrossTalk with Peter Lavelle, RT, February 12, 2014

Today's CrossTalk on RT features yours truly debating the "Nuland-Pyatt Conversation" with Alexander Mercouris and Taras Kuzio. The title is taken from a PR stunt last December, when Victoria Nuland was filmed passing out pastries to the "opposition" gathered on Kiev's Independence Square.

Kuzio's ramblings were particularly absurd. Conspiracy theories in presence of hard evidence? Blaming Yanukovich for dismantling the government, violating the Constitution and "abolishing democracy"? Behind all his talk of "democracy" and "constitutional reform" is an apologist for Imperial takeover.

The best part was when he accused me of sympathies for Socialists and Radicals, which he termed "war criminals" in order to make Banderists (who are, let's recall, nostalgic for actual Nazis) look good. To which I pointed out that not only was this untrue, but those very Socialists and Radicals (now re-branded "Progressives") are now the most willing executioners serving Washington and Brussels. This is what happens when the Empire tele-operates a country for 15 years. That's what is at stake in Ukraine.

As for the actual fallout of the leaked conversation, I'll quote Jacob Heilbrunn, writing last week in The National Interest:

"The louder the Obama administration declares that it isn't meddling in the affairs of the Ukraine, the more certain you can be that it is."