RFG ON MISSILE DEFENSE: NATO SCHEDULES

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000151 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/17 TAGS: NATO PREL RU SUBJECT: RFG ON MISSILE DEFENSE: NATO SCHEDULES NAC-REINFORCED AND NRC-REINFORCED MEETINGS ON APRIL 19 REF: USNATO 0133 Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland, reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) At the NATO PermReps March 6 luncheon, PermReps agreed to a U.S. proposal to hold two meetings on April 19 on Missile Defense, reinforced by experts from capitals. The first meeting would be in NAC/Reinforced (NAC/R) format and a second in NATO-Russia Council/Reinforced (NRC/R) format to explain U.S. missile defense (MD) plans and benefits to NATO Allies, Russia, and Partners. (Ambassador Nuland and Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Director Lt. General Obering had previously discussed the April 19 date on March 1.) In addition, Mission will work with the Private Office to see if a separate briefing can be scheduled the same day for non-NATO Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Ambassadors (with experts) since multiple EAPC missions have approached USNATO to ask for such a briefing. The EAPC includes, among others, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Central Asia nations, the EU neutrals, and south central European nations. ¶2. (C) Recent advances in U.S. Missile Defense plans along with Lt. General Obering's March 1 presentation at NATO have changed the NATO MD landscape. In the long run, the Alliance's current, too-deliberative MD process is both cumbersome and unlikely to result in an Alliance-agreed, long-range MD system; and with an established U.S. MD system, separate NATO long-range coverage of Allied territory is unnecessary. Consequently, Mission recommends that our presentations to Allies include: a) a concrete proposal regarding the benefits of the U.S. MD system which we and the other MD Framework nations (UK, DK and IT),along with other supportive nations, would agree to share with all Allies (real time radar picture, etc.); b) discussion of how NATO ACCS and/or other NATO common capabilities could contribute to that; and c) a proposal regarding how to adjust the discussion in the Alliance to focus on helping Allies fill remaining holes in their coverage against the medium and short-range threats. Ideally this kind of presentation would be pre-agreed by all MD Framework Allies and then presented together. In addition, Mission proposes that computer simulation models be available for attendees, providing supplemental, visual information that experts can use to better understand the planned capabilities of the U.S. system, and their implications for coverage of their national territories. ¶3. (C) With the Russians, we should focus on implications of the system for Russia and possible areas of cooperation with Moscow, both in the bilateral and NATO-Russia contexts. It would be useful to present some models of how this might work as well, to demonstrate our seriousness. ¶4. (SBU) Concurrent with the NAC/R and the NRC/R, Mission will help NATO's Public Diplomacy division to organize a multi-media briefing targeting the European market. Under NATO Tour auspices, we will propose that Embassies Moscow, Warsaw, and Prague bring in leading opinion makers to take part in all available media activities. Post will work with MDA to develop augmented briefing materials -- including video -- and work with the Brussels media hub to set up broadcast interviews. NULAND