U.S. diplomat plays down leaked call, denies U.S. trains militants

KIEV (Reuters) - A U.S. diplomat whose telephone conversation about the political crisis in Ukraine was leaked on the Internet said on Friday that the recording was "pretty impressive tradecraft" but suggested the leak would not harm U.S. ties with the Ukrainian opposition.

Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland also denied a Russian claim that anti-government militants are trained on the grounds of the U.S. embassy in Ukraine, calling it "pure fantasy".