A leaked conversation between two Russian ambassadors appears to show the diplomats joking about the crisis in Ukraine and the possibility of future incursions in the United States and Eastern Europe.
The video posted under the YouTube account "Michael Berkan" involves Igor Nilokaevich Chubarov and Sergey Viktorovich Bakharev, the Russian ambassadors to the African nations Eritrea and Zimbabwe and Malawi, respectively.
The call begins with Chubarov congratulating Bakharev on Zimbabwe's vote against the UN resolution that declared Crimea's referendum invalid. Chubarov expressed surprise that Eritrea abstained from the vote.
After exchanging pleasantries, Chubarov then jokes he is trying to drive home the message to the EU Heads of Mission that the Crimea referendum and further Russian imperialism is only the beginning:
IGOR NILOAKAEVICH CHUBAROV: Now I have a very simple task, for the time being I’m saying the only key thing to those EU HoMs. I’m repeating: "Guys, we’ve taken away Crimea but it’s not the fucking end. [laughter] In the future we’ll take away your [laughter] fucking Catalonia, Venice, as well as Cattleland (Scotland), and Alaska. And we’ll never rest content with that" [laughter].
SERGEY VIKTOROVICH BAHAREV: At first stage we will.
CHUBAROV: Agreed, only at first stage, and later we’ll think it over. All those fucking limitrophes, e.g. Latvia, Estonia, and other Europeans as well as Romanians, and Bulgarians, we’ll kick their asses in the right direction - where they have to be.
VIKTOROVICH BAHAREV: Oh no, it’s better not to touch them, we are not going to kick them in. It’ll be better for us to disturb "Californialand," "Miamiland," that sort of desolated regions [laughter]
CHUBAROV: You’re right, there’s practically fucking 95 percent of our citizens in "Miamiland" [laughter]
VIKTOROVICH BAHAREV: Exactly.
CHUBAROV: We have full right to hold a referendum.
VIKTOROVICH BAHAREV: As well as "Londonland!"
CHUBAROV: Yes certainly, you’re right. We’ll leave for a while Romanians and Bulgarians, let them stay so far in the EU [laughter]
VIKTOROVICH BAHAREV: Together with the Baltic shit.
In a slightly more serious tone, Chubarov then tells his comrade that the EU told him Russia should take back Romania and Bulgaria:
CHUBAROV: By the way, the EU HoD and I recently had a chat, you know, about all kinds of things, just being lost in the crowd, and he asked: "Listen, take back those Romania and Bulgaria." "Definitely, no," I answered. "Guys, nothing will come of it."
VIKTOROVICH BAHAREV: Enjoy yourself with all that stuff [laughter]
The leaked recording of the Russian officials follows the YouTube disclosure of a candid conversation between the State Department's Victoria Nuland and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt.
[H/T Paul Ivan]