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. -------------- Plans For Upcoming Geneva Meeting -------------- ¶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. -------------- Contemplating Lifting the CFE Suspension -------------- ¶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. -------------- The Flank Regime -------------- ¶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. -------------- European Security Treaty -------------- ¶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