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

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There is no MD threat to Europe
so this must be about Russia
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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.

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A U.S. radar on Czech territory is an immediate threat
to Russia. The Polish threat comes later
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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."

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Doubts about the facts in Parliament? - maybe a few
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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.

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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