C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000458

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR RS GG DA
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: DANES WELCOME RECOGNITION WARNING,
REBUTTAL OF RUSSIAN CLAIMS

REF: A. STATE 90978

B. STATE 90980

Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Bill Mozdzierz, reasons 1.4b,d


1. (C) Danish MFA Head of Department for Eastern Europe Ruben
Madsen allowed that his government did not have the sense
that the Russians would recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia
soon, but agreed that firm warnings to Moscow are prudent and
necessary in any event. Madsen welcomed our ref B approach
to set the record straight on the Georgia cease-fire
agreement, maintaining that the Russians must not be
permitted to make such assertions unchallenged.


2. (C) Denmark views as "very good news" the calling of a
European Council meeting for next week, Madsen declared,
while admitting that his government is still not certain what
exactly the French have in mind as an outcome. The Danes
will be looking for clear signals from the EU, he said, on
support for Georgia's territorial integrity, the impact of
Russian behavior on relations with the EU, and prospects for
an EU peacekeeping or monitoring mission. Madsen indicated
general satisfaction with French leadership (and activism) on
the conflict, and added that the Danes had been pleasantly
surprised by what he characterized as an increasingly tough
line coming from Finnish FM and OSCE CiO Stubb.
CAIN