Image
Jan Tombinski
The following phone call was leaked at the same time (February 7th) that the Victoria Nuland phone call with the US Ambassador to Ukraine was leaked. This call took place between Helga Schmid - a German diplomat and Deputy Secretary-General at the European External Action Service (the EU's 'foreign ministry'), and underling to the 'High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the EU', Catherine Ashton - and Jan Tombinskii, the EU's 'ambassador' in Ukraine.


Transcript in English:
Jan Tombinski: Hello

Helga Schmid: Jan, here is Helga again.

Jan Tombinski: Yes, Helga.

Helga Schmid: I just wanted to tell you something confidentially. The Americans are going a bit around saying that we are too soft, while they are stronger and want to go for sanctions. I have talked with Cathy [Catherine Ashton] about that [subject] which you and I have already discussed; she is on exactly the same line page. We need to do that, and we must prepare that very cleverly and as we have discussed it. But what you really should know and what makes us very angry is that the Americans go around and pillory the EU and say we are too soft in that respect; that is what journalists have told us. I just want to tell you that, so that you may talk also with the American ambassador and say: "We are not soft at all!" We have currently a very, very strong statement that's going out right now about Bulatov1 and we are also going in that direction, we just don't shout it from the rooftops because that is much more effective, when we do it in the way you and I have discussed. But it annoys me when the press is now reporting here that the EU is not on the side of Liberty.

Jan Tombinski: But Helga, you must also be aware: We are not in a race of who acts stronger. We have other instruments. And it's good that we...

Helga Schmid: Yes, but Jan, you do understand that it is also a question of how she... I do not want Cathy to be damaged here, or for us to be damaged here, nor to be cornered. That of course also has a different political meaning here. And that cannot be! And Cathy [Catherine Ashton] will also address that to Kerry. I just wanted that you to know that. We shall not go into a race [with the Americans]. But that is really very unfair, if they spread that.

Jan Tombinski: Yes. Well, I will shortly give you... I have just a few minutes ago learned about a new proposal from the opposition to the president. And I will shortly write about it and have it sent to Cathy.

Helga Schmid: Okay, alright.

Jan Tombinski: Thanks, thanks, bye.

Helga Schmid: Thanks Jan.

Jan Tombinski: Bye.
1The mention of 'Bulatov' earlier in this snippet is a reference to Dmytro Bulatov, a Ukrainian 'activist' who in January was 'kidnapped, tortured and left to die' in a forest outside Kiev before being found and then gaining political asylum in the EU. It later emerged that he was one of the neo-Nazi Automaidan leaders and confessed to being paid by the US. He is now 'minister of youth and sports' in the illegitimate government of Ukraine.

Transcript in German

Image
Helga Schmid

Image
Helga Schmid with the three opposition leaders of ukraine: Vitali Klitschko, Arsenij Jazenjuk and Oleh Tjahnybok