Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MOSCOW884
2008-03-31 14:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:
RUSSIA ASKS FOR A "STRAIGHT ANSWER" ON AFGHAN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHMO #0884 0911459 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 311459Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7413 INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0505 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 6803
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000884
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR AF RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA ASKS FOR A "STRAIGHT ANSWER" ON AFGHAN
MILITARY AID
REF: A. 07 MOSCOW 5098
B. MOSCOW 520
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel Russell for reasons 1.4 (
b/d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000884
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR AF RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA ASKS FOR A "STRAIGHT ANSWER" ON AFGHAN
MILITARY AID
REF: A. 07 MOSCOW 5098
B. MOSCOW 520
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel Russell for reasons 1.4 (
b/d).
1. (C) MFA Afghanistan Desk Chief Yuri Khokhlov called in
Poloff on March 31 to tell us Russia sought a "straight
answer" from the U.S. on whether there was interest in the
Russian offer to provide military aid to Afghanistan (refs).
He said that while the GOR has dealt bilaterally with
Afghanistan on this issue, it recently learned that Afghan
reluctance to accept the weapons was precipitated by the U.S.
and NATO. According to Khokhlov, the Afghan MOD told the GOR
it was interested in the Russian weapons but had been
pressured by NATO not to accept them. The Russian Embassy in
Kabul sought clarification from NATO representatives, who
said that NATO planned to move the Afghan National Army (ANA)
away from using Soviet-era weapons supplied by Poland and the
Czech Republic and toward NATO compatible weapons.
2. (C) Khokhlov stressed that by rebuffing the Russian offer,
the U.S. was sending a "strange message" at a time when the
GOR and NATO were discussing expanding cooperation in
Afghanistan. He explained that providing weapons to the ANA
in order to improve its security abilities was a "key
component" of the GOR strategy for Afghanistan signed by
Putin. Russia was "ready to go very far" in assisting the
ANA -- the GOR simply wished to know if it should continue to
pursue this avenue any longer. Khokhlov said the timing of
this message to the U.S. was not coincidental given Putin's
attendance at the upcoming NATO summit. The Russians chose
to deliver the message at the working level but, Khokhlov
assured us, the decision to send this message had been made
at a high level.
BURNS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR AF RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA ASKS FOR A "STRAIGHT ANSWER" ON AFGHAN
MILITARY AID
REF: A. 07 MOSCOW 5098
B. MOSCOW 520
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel Russell for reasons 1.4 (
b/d).
1. (C) MFA Afghanistan Desk Chief Yuri Khokhlov called in
Poloff on March 31 to tell us Russia sought a "straight
answer" from the U.S. on whether there was interest in the
Russian offer to provide military aid to Afghanistan (refs).
He said that while the GOR has dealt bilaterally with
Afghanistan on this issue, it recently learned that Afghan
reluctance to accept the weapons was precipitated by the U.S.
and NATO. According to Khokhlov, the Afghan MOD told the GOR
it was interested in the Russian weapons but had been
pressured by NATO not to accept them. The Russian Embassy in
Kabul sought clarification from NATO representatives, who
said that NATO planned to move the Afghan National Army (ANA)
away from using Soviet-era weapons supplied by Poland and the
Czech Republic and toward NATO compatible weapons.
2. (C) Khokhlov stressed that by rebuffing the Russian offer,
the U.S. was sending a "strange message" at a time when the
GOR and NATO were discussing expanding cooperation in
Afghanistan. He explained that providing weapons to the ANA
in order to improve its security abilities was a "key
component" of the GOR strategy for Afghanistan signed by
Putin. Russia was "ready to go very far" in assisting the
ANA -- the GOR simply wished to know if it should continue to
pursue this avenue any longer. Khokhlov said the timing of
this message to the U.S. was not coincidental given Putin's
attendance at the upcoming NATO summit. The Russians chose
to deliver the message at the working level but, Khokhlov
assured us, the decision to send this message had been made
at a high level.
BURNS