SWEDEN: DEMARCHE ON MISSILE DEFENSE IN POLAND AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000214 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR A/S DAN FRIED, A/S PAULA DESUTTER, A/S ISN JOHN ROOD NSC FOR DAVID STEPHENS AND JUDY ANSLEY OSD/P FOR BRIAN GREEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR EZ PL SW SUBJECT: SWEDEN: DEMARCHE ON MISSILE DEFENSE IN POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC REF: STATE 21649 Classified By: Polcouns Casey Christensen, reason 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (c) Polcouns met 2/28 with MFA Deputy Director General for European and Global Security Ambassador Nils Daag regarding negotiations for Poland and the Czech Republic to host U.S. missile defense assets. Daag, whose portfolio has just been expanded to include responsibility for the United Nations as well as NATO, OSCE, and ESDP, was joined by the MFA military adviser, Rear Admiral Bengt Johansson and desk officers for European Security and Disarmament and non-Proliferation. Daag said that Sweden considered the negotiations on missile defense to be primarily a matter for the governments concerned and did not plan to make any public statements. He appreciated the information on the extent of consultations that had taken place with Russia, noting that Sweden emphasized the importance of dialogue, openness and transparency in managing relations on this issue. ¶2. (c) Daag said Sweden had a particular interest in the possible deployments, because they would be in its neighborhood. Daag posed a series of questions: were there other candidate countries; who would be responsible for defending the sites, and what links were there to NATO missile defense initiatives? We advised we would relay the questions. ¶3. (c) Comment: We had discussed this matter with Daag's subordinates 2/23. Sweden appears to be taking a hands-off approach, declining to push back on Russia's threatening remarks, while not criticizing either the possible deployment nor the extent of consultations. WOOD