US left red-faced after top diplomat drops f-bomb on EU

Kiev: The United States tried to contain a fallout yesterday from a leaked phone conversation in which a top diplomat uses the f-word regarding the European Union's handling of the crisis in Ukraine. Washington's new top diplomat for Europe Victoria Nuland apologised to EU counterparts after what appeared to be a recent phone call with US ambassador to Kiev, Geoffrey Pyatt, was uploaded to YouTube.

Victoria Nuland, the top diplomat from the US for Europe was heard saying 'F''k the EU'. Pic/AFP

A voice purporting to be that of Nuland speaks of a diplomatic move that will ‘f ''k the EU'. "Let me convey that she has been in contact with her EU counterparts and, of course, has apologised," said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

While Psaki said she had no independent details of how the conversation was captured, she added: "Certainly we think this is a new low in Russian tradecraft." Nuland, who took over late last year as assistant secretary for European affairs, says in the phone call she has been told UN chief Ban Ki-moon is about to appoint a former Dutch ambassador to Kiev, Robert Serry, as his representative to Ukraine.

"That would be great I think to help glue this thing and have the UN glue it and you know, f''k the EU," she says, in an apparent reference to differences over their policies. Nuland is also heard saying of former heavyweight boxer Vitaly Klitschko, "I don't think Klitsch should go into the government ... I don't think it's a good idea.

I think Yats (opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk) is the guy who's got the economic experience." Following the revelations, German Chancellor Angela Merkel slammed the US saying the slur was ‘totally unacceptable.'