AMBASSADOR NULAND UPDATES NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000128 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017 TAGS: NATO KCRM PREL MOPS UNMIK YI SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR NULAND UPDATES NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL ON POSSIBLE U.S. PARTICIPATION IN FUTURE EU RULE OF LAW MISSION IN KOSOVO Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer complained to Ambassador Nuland on February 27 that, prior to his meeting with National Security Advisor Hadley on February 21, he had not been briefed on possible U.S. participation in the EU,s ESDP mission for Kosovo. The SYG expressed concern that NATO equities had not been fully taken into account. ¶2. (C) In response, at the February 28 meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC),U.S. Ambassador Nuland briefed the NAC on the fact that the USG was considering participation in the future EU ESDP rule-of-law mission in Kosovo. She said that the EU,s request for our participation was being reviewed at senior levels in Washington, but emphasized that no decision had been taken. If it chooses to participate, the U.S. contingent would be drawn largely from the current UNMIK presence. She said that we were looking closely at the implications for NATO and Berlin Plus. She outlined for the NAC some of the considerations that would shape the U.S. decision. First and foremost, we would insist that this would not set a precedent and/or preclude NATO from taking on future police missions. The ESDP mission must be civilian and its Oplan should include no degredation in UNMIK,s mission. She further stressed the need for the U.S. to have an appropriate decision-shaping role, for smooth command and control arrangements, and for close NATO-EU coordination at all levels. ¶3. (C) During the same meeting, the Deputy Chairman of NATO's Military Committee (D/CMC) briefed the NAC on NATO's ongoing prudent military planning for post-status Kosovo. The D/CMC said that planning envisions three phases, immediate, transitional, and implementation. The adoption by the NAC of a transition directive and a revised operational plan will provide NATO forces with the necessary tools to maintain security during the transition phase and would allow NATO to assume additional missions as the new international military presence. NULAND