White House Confirms CIA Director's Trip to Kiev

[jakeXT]

Source: Associated Press

The White House is confirming that CIA Director John Brennan was in the Ukrainian capital over the weekend.

White House press secretary Jay Carney confirmed Russian media reports of the trip to Kiev. Carney says Brennan's visit was part of a trip to Europe.

Ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (yah-noo-KOH'-vich) is accusing the CIA of being behind the new government's decision to turn to force. But the CIA denies that Brennan encouraged Ukrainian authorities to conduct tactical operations.

Carney said Monday the U.S. is conferring with allies on sanctions after more provocations by Russia in Ukraine. Carney says such actions from Russia "will come with a cost."


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/white-house-confirms-cia-directors-trip-kiev-23321083

[cosmicone]

1. He was just sightseeing of course

[jakeXT]

2. A fake name was not enough

Ukraine’s intelligence agency, the State Security Service, known as the SBU, is so riddled with Russian informers that when John O. Brennan, the C.I.A. director, visited Kiev over the weekend on a supposedly secret trip, Russian state news media swiftly revealed his visit and declared it evidence that Washington was calling the shots in Ukraine and pushing for a crackdown in the east.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/04/15/world/europe/russia-east-ukraine.html?_r=1&referrer=

[maddezmom]

3. Good to see the confirmation

[jakeXT]

4. The White House and State Department confirmed the CIA director’s trip on Monday.

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said on Monday that CIA director John Brennan’s visit to Kiev over the weekend could help U.S. improve its intelligence sharing efforts with Ukraine.

“Hopefully Mr. Brennan’s trip will lead to more intelligence sharing on Russian activities threatening Ukraine,” House Intelligence chairman Mike Rogers said in a statement to BuzzFeed. The U.S. has neglected to share key intelligence with the Ukrainians during the political crisis that has resulted in the Russian annexation of Crimea. The Daily Beast reported last week that senior U.S. military officers had been told not to give details to their Ukrainian counterparts about Russian troop movements along the border with Ukraine.

Rogers also called for more non-lethal aid to the Ukrainians.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/house-intelligence-chair-brennans-kiev-visit-could-improve-c