RUSSIAN DEPUTY FM TELLS THE CZECHS THAT MISSILE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000398 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS MARR RU EZ SUBJECT: RUSSIAN DEPUTY FM TELLS THE CZECHS THAT MISSILE DEFENSE IS AIMED AT RUSSIA Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Russian DFM Kislyak, visiting Prague on March 11-12 for meetings with FM Schwarzenberg, DFM Pojar and the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, asserted that the planned missile defense sites in the Czech Republic and Poland are a step in a larger effort by the U.S. to develop a global missile defense that will change the balance of power between the United States and Russia. While the Czech Government remains unmoved, Kislyak's presentation to parliamentarians may have done some controllable damage. End summary -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- There is no MD threat to Europe so this must be about Russia -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak visited Prague for consultations on the planned U.S. missile defense (MD) system on March 11-12. Czech MFA officials report the visit came at the Russians' request. They also noted that the process of agreeing on a date for Kislyak to travel to Prague had been achieved more swiftly than with any previous high level visit (i.e., the Russian side really wanted this to take place ASAP). While senior MFA officials told us earlier in the week that they were not looking forward to the visit, they thought it was important to facilitate the Russian request for consultations, and to make Kislyak available to meet with Parliament, in order to support their policy of full transparency on the MD debate. ¶3. (C) According to Czech MFA staff, Kislyak met March 11 with Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg and Deputy FM Pojar. His main message in Prague was that Russia has seriously examined the U.S. assertion that there is a missile threat to Europe. It found that: -- The DPRK is no threat to Europe because of the distances involved. --- Iran is no threat to Europe because it currently does not have the capability to fire a missile more than 1300km -- Iran's limited technological and industrial base means that it will not be able to develop a missile capable of reaching Europe in the next 30-40 years. Therefore, he said, the planned U.S. third site in Central Europe must be aimed at Russia. Kislyak maintained that, if there were truly a threat from the Middle East, the radar would be placed further south, perhaps in Turkey or Greece, locations that would not allow for monitoring of Russia. -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- A U.S. radar on Czech territory is an immediate threat to Russia. The Polish threat comes later -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Kislyak claimed that the U.S. project to bring missile defense to Europe is an element of a U.S. plan to develop and deploy a global missile defense that will alter the balance of power between the United States and Russia. Kislyak told his Czech interlocutors that a U.S. missile defense radar in the Czech Republic would be a greater short and medium term threat to Russia than planned interceptors in Poland. He claimed that the U.S. is trying to fill a gap in its radar coverage to allow surveillance of key Russian bases, such as Kozelsk and Tatishchevo. Kislyak asserted that, at some time after 2013, the U.S. will replace the original interceptors in Poland with hypersonic versions that would be capable of catching Russian missiles, even if the Russian missiles were flying away from the Poland interceptor site. ¶5. (C) At the MFA Kislyak claimed the "unilateral realization of a European pillar of U.S. missile defense affords the United States an even greater untouchability, which will lead to even more unilateral and arrogant American conduct - look at where the got us with Kosovo and Iraq." -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- Doubts about the facts in Parliament? - maybe a few -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Addressing the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee in a close session on March 12, Kislyak sought to present the assembled legislators with an explanation of why the U.S. PRAGUE 00000398 002 OF 002 wants to monitor Russian territory from a radar in the Czech Republic. Although he said he would make a brief presentation before having an open discussion on the topic, Kislyak went on to speak without a break for 40 minutes, leaving little time for probing questions. According to a deputy present who supports the MD facility, in response to one of the few questions that was allowed, Kislyak said that comments by a Russian general about possible future targeting of the Czech Republic were the result of a media question and did not reflect government policy. ¶7. (C) Comment: Kislyak chose to maintain a polite demeanor throughout his discussions, though the Czechs know he has sought to intimidate interlocutors in the past. The Czech MFA's response to this was to acknowledge that the Czech Republic and Russia had differing views and to continue the dialogue. Kislyak is the most senior foreign official to address Czech parliamentarians on missile defense. Worryingly, his confident presentation to the Parliament may have succeeded in raising some doubts. CSSD deputy Martin Sousek, thanking Kislyak for a comprehensive briefing, said by contrast "the Americans are making children of us." Sousek's left-of-center political orientation may explain some of the background to that comment. However, the fact that he can say it without fear of criticism is indicative of the sense in Prague that the opponents of MD are fast to share "information" while the Czech Government is less responsive. Detailed expert briefings from the U.S. will help, as well as the April 14-20 visit to Kwajalein by eight Czech parliamentarians. Post looks forward to supporting the visit of General Obering and the arrival of technical experts that can counter the negative claims of domestic foes, and their Russian friends. GRABER