UKRAINE: U.S.-RUSSIAN MISSILE DEFENSE DISCUSSION:

C O N F I D E N T I A L KYIV 001560

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/UMB AND EUR/PRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017
TAGS: MARR MCAP PARM OPRC PREL RS AZ US UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: U.S.-RUSSIAN MISSILE DEFENSE DISCUSSION:
INFORMATION PASSED DURING NON-PRO TALKS

REF: A. STATE 87909

B. KYIV 1459

Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor George Kent for reasons 1.4(b
,d)


1. (U) EUR/PRA Director and head of delegation to the
U.S.-Ukraine non-proliferation Working Group (NPWG) talks
Anita Friedt delivered ref A's notification June 26 to
Ukrainian MFA Arms Control and Military-Technical Cooperation
Department Director General Volodymyr Belashov on the margins
of NPWG meeting. EUR/PRA official Lisa Benthien and poloff
(notetaker) sat in; MFA Arms Control Department Counselor
Oleksandr Bondarenko joined Belashov.


2. (C) Belashov said, in addition to discussing missile
defense with the U.S., the GOU had consulted with the
governments of Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, France,
and Germany. The MFA had collected information and, along
with the Ministry of Defense and the National Space Agency of
Ukraine (NSAU),provided input to the Ukrainian National
Security and Defense Council (NSDC) for an NSDC review of
U.S. plans to locate missile defense facilities in Poland and
the Czech Republic. NSDC had reviewed the issue and further
tasked MFA to prepare a Ukrainian position regarding the
facilities. The MFA planned to convene an experts meeting to
coordinate the Ukrainian position the week of July 2.
(Comment: Belashov appreciated our efforts to keep Ukrainian
officials informed of developments in the missile defense
area. The fact that the NSDC is preparing to approve
Ukraine's formal position underscores the importance of
continuing to provide updates and responding to the questions
posed by the Ukrainian defense minister and other officials.)


3. (C) While Belashov cautioned that MFA still had not
finalized its recommendation, he previewed the likely
outlines of a Ukrainian position to us, as follows:

-- The proposed U.S. facilities would not defend Ukraine in
the event of a missile attack on Ukraine.

-- A missile intercept from the proposed U.S. facilities
posed no threat to Ukrainian safety or security.

-- That said, no country posed a missile threat to Ukraine,
so development of a missile defense system capability was not
a priority.

-- Ukraine should not take a position with regard to the new
U.S facilities.


4. (C) Belashov commented that Russian officials seemed to be
genuinely concerned by U.S. missile defense plans, rather
than using the issue as a tactic to pressure the U.S. He
noted that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak had
made a presentation at the OSCE Forum for Security
Cooperation (FSC) meeting in Vienna and held two press
conferences to present Russian views. Belashov regretted
that the U.S. or NATO member countries had not undertaken a
similar media campaign; while he understood the U.S. was
working to explain its views in NATO, he urged U.S. officials
also to work in other multilateral fora, like the OSCE.


5. (C) Finally, Belashov commented that Ukraine was closely
following U.S.-Russia negotiations on the Joint Data Exchange
Center (JDEC). If an agreement were concluded, Russia would
potentially commit to provide early warning data that it
obtained from all sensors, including Ukrainian-operated
radars in Mukacheve and Sevastopol. Under agreements
established within the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) framework, Russia would need to obtain Ukrainian
permission to share the data, which Belashov noted would be
readily forthcoming.


6. (U) EUR/PRA Friedt cleared this message.


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