MISSLE DEFENSE: ESTONIA READY TO COUNTER RUSSIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TALLINN 000124 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/NB E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017 TAGS: PARM MARR PREL RS EUN EN SUBJECT: MISSLE DEFENSE: ESTONIA READY TO COUNTER RUSSIAN CLAIMS REF: STATE 21640 Classified By: ADCM Eric Johnson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) On February 26, we delivered reftel points to Arti Hilpus, MFA Director for Security and Arms Control, and discussed the United States' offer to Poland and the Czech Republic to open negotiations for hosting U.S. missile defense assets. Hilpus agreed with us that Moscow's "saber rattling" was unacceptable. He commented that this is typical of the "divide-and-conquer" tactics that Moscow is using more frequently against the EU. Initially, the MFA did not plan to issue a statement. Even a joint-Baltic statement was considered "counterproductive" according to Katrin Kanarik, MFA Director for Western/Southern Europe and North America, in a separate meeting with visiting EUR/NP Deputy Director. Hilpus and Kanarik both felt that only a common EU statement would carry real weight. However, speaking off-the-record, Hilpus was pessimistic of the likelihood of EU members reaching a common position. After our discussions, Hilpus later informed us that Foreign Minister Urmas Paet now plans to comment publicly on the matter at his next scheduled press conference. Hilpus said FM Paet's talking points would focus on the defensive nature of the missile system and Russia's unacceptable behavior. GOLDSTEIN