Russian/Ukrainian intelligence infiltration vs. U.S. seductive exploitation

We will discuss the upheaval in the Ukraine beginning in 2014, Manafort's efforts to keep Russian-backed Yanukovych in office benefitted himself 12.7 million but did little for the nation. Few political consultants have had a client fail quite as spectacularly as Paul Manafort’s did in Ukraine in the winter of 2014.

President Viktor F. Yanukovych, who owed his election to, as an American diplomat put it, an “extreme makeover” Mr. Manafort oversaw, bolted the country in the face of violent street protests. He found sanctuary in Russia and never returned, as his patron, President Vladimir V. Putin, proceeded to dismember Ukraine, annexing Crimea and fomenting a war in two other provinces.

Since 2014, the Kiev government has been a ward of America & Europe --the potential for real or perceived conflicts of interest should have been apparent to both Bidens, who had specific political leverage due to the father's position.  Still, according to Ukrainian officials, no evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter or Ukrainian oligarch, Mykola Zlochevsky has been determined.  In 2015, the US and some Euorpean allies sought to get rid of Ukraine prosecutor general, Viktor Shokin, because they believed that  he had been soft on corruption.   That September, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, denounced Shokin's failure "to fight internal corruption."  In December, Joe Biden went to Kiev and told Ukraine leaders that the US would withhold loan guarantees if they did not get rid of Shokin.  He was canned in March of 2016.  Guiliani followed up to find out whether Shokin was pushed out to protect Burisma.  Vitaliy Kasko, a former Ukraine prosecutor told Bloomberg News that there was no pressure from anyone or from the US to test oligarch Zlochevesky credibility.

3 hosts & 1 guest discuss the weight of the region.