MFA CONTEMPLATES RETURN TO CFE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 001348

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2019
TAGS: PARM PREL PGOV MARR RS
SUBJECT: MFA CONTEMPLATES RETURN TO CFE

REF: MOSCOW 1184

Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: MFA DVBR Counselor Federyakov told us May 21
that recent press reports that Russian intended to propose a
"revised version" of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE)
Treaty were referring to the proposals in the aide memoire
passed to A/S Gottemoeller on April 24, not a new Russian
proposal (reftel). Federyakov added that Russia would not
bring new proposals to the June 3 meeting in Geneva, but
rather would like to hear the U.S. response to Russia's aide
memoire. Russia would be prepared to lift part of its
suspension once a "dialogue proposal" was approved, with full
return to the treaty if the Adapted CFE (A/CFE) Treaty was
"provisionally applied." End Summary.

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Plans For Upcoming Geneva Meeting
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2. (C) On May 14, MFA Spokesman Andrey Nesterenko said Russia
was prepared to rejoin the CFE Treaty, and was ready to
negotiate revisions to the treaty. On May 21, MFA DVBR
Counselor Sergey Federyakov told us press articles saying
Russia would propose a "new version" of the treaty were
incorrect. Nesterenko was referring to the aide memoire DVBR
Director Anotonov had given A/S Gottemoeller on April 24. He
said Antonov would not be bringing additional proposals or
ideas to the June 3 meeting with Gottemoeller, but would be
looking for U.S. responses to its aide memoire. He added
that Moscow also hoped to get other Allies' views at the June
10 conference in Berlin.

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Contemplating Lifting the CFE Suspension
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3. (C) If Allies would provisionally adhere to the treaty's
conditions, Federyakov told us that Russia would be prepared
to lift its suspension of the CFE Treaty once such
provisional implementation began. Acknowledging that the
U.S. could not provisionally implement the CFE Treaty prior
to ratification, Federyakov said the GOR was investigating
ways it could make a goodwill gesture to the United States in
the event that the U.S. and Russia reached a "package
agreement" on CFE, such as lifting some elements of the
suspension.

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The Flank Regime
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4. (C) Federyakov reiterated Moscow's argument that certain
fundamental elements of the CFE Treaty, such as the flank
regime, could be altered by adding an additional protocol to
the already-negotiated treaty, and said Moscow was open to
any proposal which would address its concerns. He stressed,
however, that Russia's demand that the flank regime be
effectively eliminated would not change. Russia would like
to be able to respond to crisis zones such as Chechnya
without being hindered by the CFE Treaty. Federyakov added
the GOR would be willing to talk to other countries strongly
opposed to changes in the flank regime, including Turkey and
the Baltic states.


5. (C) Federyakov declined to comment on Georgia or Moldova,
noting that they were being handled by different offices, but
said the West needed to "recognize reality." The GOR, he
said, had no intention of removing its troops from Abkhazia
or South Ossetia. Federyakov expressed the GOR's hope that
the Geneva process would resolve the Georgia issue.

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European Security Treaty
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6. (C) Reiterating Russia's position that an A/CFE Treaty,
ratified by all parties including the Baltic states, should
form a cornerstone of security in Europe, Federyakov said the
GOR would welcome ideas about how a "modernized" A/CFE Treaty
could work in conjunction with Medvedev's proposed European
Security Treaty.
BEYRLE