CZECHS AGREE WITH U.S. APPROACH TO CFE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000644

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

USNATO (FOR LOOK AND LAURENDEAU),EUR/RPM, USOSCE, EUR FOR
KURT VOLKER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2017
TAGS: KCFE NATO PARM PREL EZ RU
SUBJECT: CZECHS AGREE WITH U.S. APPROACH TO CFE
EXTRAORDINARY CONFERENCE PREPARATIONS

REF: A. SECSTATE 77371


B. EUR/RPM PETERSON 06/05 E-MAIL TO U.S. EMBASSIES
IN NATO CAPITALS

Classified By: Political Officer Brian Greaney
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Poloff delivered the authorized portions of Ref A
demarche on June 6 to Veronika Smigolova, MFA Director for
Security Policy. Smigolova, who will lead the Czech
delegation to the June 12-15 CFE Extraordinary Conference,
shared her fear that Allies could be faced with Russian
tactics designed to ensure withdrawal from the CFE treaty.
Smigolova believes that under such circumstances no amount of
reasonableness or confidence-building measures from the
Allies would be able to prevent a Russian exit. Smigolova
agrees Russia has deliberately mixed elements of the CFE
Treaty, the Adapted CFE Treaty, and other documents in order
to manufacture false grievances.


2. (C) Smigolova said the Czechs have one redline: Russia
must drop its claims that no Istanbul Commitments exist. She
said the Czechs could be flexible on implementation timelines
for the Commitments, but Russia must first accept the
Commitments and commit to their implementation. She said the
Czechs look forward to working with the U.S. on a common NATO
position and would welcome a draft text when it is ready.
Smigolova predicted that Germany would be a stumbling block.
The Germans, she said, still like to try to bridge tensions
between Europe and Moscow, while ignoring the legitimate
security fears of allied countries bordering Russia.
GRABER