NATO-RUSSIA: DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000557

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL NATO RS
SUBJECT: NATO-RUSSIA: DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

REF: A. USNATO 526

B. USNATO 523

Classified By: Ambassador Ivo Daalder for reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) Summary: During a November 25 NATO-Russia Council
(NRC) Ambassadorial meeting, NATO Allies and the Secretary
General expressed their frustration with the Russian decision
to end work on the reform document "Taking the NRC Forward,"
and reminded Russian Ambassador Rogozin that this was part of
a package of deliverables expected for the December 4
Ministerial. Rogozin claimed to never have heard of a
"package" of deliverables, and proposed that the NRC be
tasked again, formally this time, to work on reform.
Ambassador Daalder reminded Rogozin that he had been present
at a meeting when 28 NRC members agreed there was a package
for the Ministerial, and criticized Russia for backing out of
"Taking the NRC Forward" for a second time. Germany
questioned Russian intentions in engaging in negotiations on
the document for months, only to back out, and Canada
acknowledged there may well be no deliverables for the
Ministerial. Following a tasking from the SecGen, the NRC
Preparatory Committee, including Russia, spent November 26-27
attempting to reach consensus on "Taking the NRC Forward,"
only to learn, once again, that Russia never had any
intention of agreeing to the document in time for the
Ministerial. End summary.

SecGen Questions Russian Commitments
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2. (C) During a November 25 NRC Ambassadorial meeting, NATO
Secretary General Rasmussen said that he was disappointed in
recent developments in the NRC that suggested there would be
no deliverables for the December 4 Ministerial. He thought
the decision by "one NRC member" to back out of work on the
reform document "Taking the NRC Forward" called into question
mutual commitments made at the June Ministerial to re-launch
the NRC after it was disrupted by the Georgia war (ref A).
The SecGen reminded the Ambassadors that there was a package
of three deliverables for the upcoming Ministerial, and
implored the NRC to continue working on "Taking the NRC
Forward" and the related documents, the tasking for a Joint
Review of Common Challenges and the NRC Work Plan for 2010.

Rogozin: "I am not a postman."
--------------


3. (C) Russian Ambassador Rogozin claimed that this was the
first he had heard of a "package" of deliverables for the
Ministerial, then quipped "I am not a postman." He said that
Russia supported the goal of NRC reform, but had a
considerably different opinion on how to accomplish this than
Allies. He proposed that at their upcoming meeting, Foreign
Ministers task the NRC to undertake organizational
restructuring, falling back on the Russian claim that there
had been no official tasking to work on "Taking the NRC
Forward" at the June Ministerial. The PrepCom could then
work on this initiative for the next several months,
reporting to Ministers in Spring 2010. Rogozin made clear
that Russia saw the Joint Review tasking as the most
significant potential deliverable for the Ministerial, as
this document initiative would help define "real priorities"
in the NATO-Russia relationship.

Groundhog Day
--------------


4. (C) Ambassador Daalder reminded Rogozin that he had been
present at the November 11 NRC Ambassadorial meeting at which
28 PermReps made it clear they supported a package of three
deliverables (ref B). (Note: The SecGen also reminded
Rogozin about the package of deliverables at a private
meeting on November 24. End note.) He expressed deep
disappointment in the Russian position, which marked the
second time Russia had backed out of "Taking the NRC
Forward." The Ambassador likened Russia's repeat performance
to the film "Groundhog Day," in which the NRC experienced
"just another version of the same old story." He observed
that since the NRC had already agreed upon specific areas of
cooperation it should be able to agree upon a new structure
in the next few days, not months, as Russia wanted.

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5. (C) Allies expressed similar reactions to the Russian
decision to unilaterally end work on NRC reform, and were
unified in saying that work must continue:

-- Germany said it did not understand the negotiating tactics
of Russia, which had taken part in regular meetings on NRC
reform for the past several months. Hitting a "reset" in
relations did not mean starting work all over again on NRC
reform.

-- Canada said it was prepared for a December Ministerial
with no deliverables, which was preferable to perpetuating
the image of the NRC being "process with no outcome."

-- Latvia agreed with the Canadian position, and asked how
the current situation would affect the SecGen's planned visit
to Moscow a week after the December Ministerial.

-- Norway complained that Russia demonstrated an
unwillingness to recognize the purpose of NRC reform, which
was intended to make the organization more capable of
tackling issues as they arose.

-- Italy assured Russia that reform was not a way to downsize
the NRC, but was intended instead to make it a better
instrument.

-- Hungary stressed that if the NRC had the will, it could
still reach agreement on "Taking the NRC Forward" in the next
few days. If not, the organization would have moved back to
where it was before the June Ministerial.

SecGen Tasks the PrepCom
--------------


6. (C) The SecGen concluded that the NRC was close to
agreement on the Joint Review tasking and the 2010 Work Plan,
but the Russian position on "Taking the NRC Forward" put the
whole package "at risk." He observed that there was
consensus on the need to make structural changes to the NRC,
and tasked the PrepCom to devote the next two days to
attempting to reach agreement on "Taking the NRC Forward."
If it could not do so by COB on Friday, November 27, the
SecGen said that he would then issue his own proposal on NRC
reform for Ambassadorial approval.

Deja Vu All Over Again
--------------


7. (C) Allies were pleased to find Russia flexible in ensuing
negotiations on "Taking the NRC Forward" in the PrepCom on
November 26-27, only to learn that Russia had engaged in the
exercise with no intention of approving the document in time
for the Ministerial. Instead, Russia wanted the NRC to
continue working on this initiative after the December 4
meeting. The Russian DCM reiterated his challenge in getting
the GOR interagency to approve the project, citing
difficulties with the MOD. Several Allies expressed
frustration with the Russian Mission's inability to speak for
the GOR, and for entering into negotiations in bad faith.
The Russian DCM told us privately that he still thought it
possible that Rogozin could convince Moscow to accept "Taking
the NRC Forward," but advised us to be prepared for a
negative response.
DAALDER