UKRAINE: FOLLOW UP ON MANPADS COUNTERMEASURES

S E C R E T KIEV 003021

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR PM/WRA, EUR/UMB, EUR/PRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2016
TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL PARM NATO PINR US UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: FOLLOW UP ON MANPADS COUNTERMEASURES

REF: A. KIEV 2886

B. KIEV 1185 (NOTAL)

C. STATE 46155 (NOTAL)

D. KIEV 757 (NOTAL)

E. STATE 24376 (NOTAL)

F. 05 KIEV 4701 (NOTAL)

G. 05 KIEV 3897 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Political Counselor Kent Logsdon for reasons 1.4(b,c,d)


1. (U) This is an action request. See para 6


2. (S) We met August 1 with Defense Minister First Assistant
Oleksiy Melnyk regarding next steps on MANPADS
countermeasures development, as agreed during our July 14
meeting with Melnyk and other Ukrainian officials (ref A).
Melnyk said he had reported to Defense Minister Hrytsenko as
promised and was in the process of preparing a report to the
Cabinet of Ministers. Preparation of the report was taking
time, however, as the determination regarding the number and
type of MANPADS excess to Ukraine's defense and military
needs was a complicated issue. MOD experts were basing their
estimates on projected expenditures for training and
operational needs over a six-year period, to 2011. The
report would also assess the potential market for legitimate
sales of MANPADS, but, Melnyk noted, international arms
control regimes severely restricted the quantity that could
be potentially sold.


3. (S) Melnyk said the report to Cabinet would detail the
number of MANPADS on hand that were excess to Ukrainian
defense needs, then advise that the excess could be sold,
destroyed, or transferred for USG use. Since a transfer to
the USG would save on destruction costs, Melnyk thought the
Cabinet would readily agree to a transfer. He advised that
an initial assessment suggested that, while the Ukrainian
government could have 2000 MANPADS available in excess of its
needs, the mix of MANPADS models might not be what PM/WRA
Deputy Director Steve Costner had requested. In particular,
the newer MANPADS models were more likely to be in the
Ukrainian military's active inventory. We assured Melnyk
that the request was a target quantity, and that the USG
would be able to utilize whatever was offered.


4. (S) Melnyk inquired whether any U.S. agency had been in
contact with UKRSPETSEXPORT to initiate discussions on such a
transfer. We noted that, per his earlier request, we had
taken no further steps pending his report to the Defense
Minister. While we could indeed contact UKRSPETSEXPORT, we
suggested that the most appropriate next step might be a
government-to-government communication in the form of a
letter from a USG official to Defense Minister Hrytsenko.
The letter could briefly recapitulate the U.S. side's
presentation during the July 14 meeting, i.e., explain why
the USG needed MANPADS, state the quantity required, and
request GOU cooperation in providing MANPADS. Melnyk readily
agreed to the approach and asked that the letter also include
two additional elements. The letter should state the USG's
continuing support for the NATO PfP Trust Fund project
regardless of the outcome of MANPADS countermeasures
discussions and describe the USG's offer to provide
additional funding for munitions destruction if additional
MANPADS were provided for destruction. Melnyk also asked
that we not report on the conversation until he had a chance
to brief the Defense Minister.


5. (S) We recontacted Melnyk August 3. Melnyk said Defense
Minister Hrytsenko had agreed that an initial
government-to-government communication was the best approach
and that we should prepare a letter.


6. (U) Action Request. Department's guidance is requested as
to whether we can provide the letter requested by Melnyk, and
if so, to provide a letter as described in para 4 above.


7. (U) Visit Embassy Kiev's classified website:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
Taylor