ACTION REQUEST: A DECISION ON NATO CONTINGENCY

S E C R E T USNATO 000561 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019 TAGS: PREL MCAP MARR LH LG EN PL SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: A DECISION ON NATO CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR THE BALTICS REF: VILNIUS 641 Classified By: Ambassador Ivo Daalder. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) This is an action request. See para 6. ¶2. (S/NF) SUMMARY: NATO contingency planning will be on the agenda during a December 16 meeting of Baltic and Polish leaders. It is also on the draft agenda of the Secretary General's December 10 meeting with SACEUR and the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. We risk losing the ability to influence and shape this discussion if we don't have a firm U.S. decision on moving forward with the inclusion of the Baltic states into the ongoing revision of the defense of Poland plan by the time of these meetings. We request that Washington expedite its decision making process in order to reach a final decision by Monday, December 7, providing us the time we need to have the U.S. Military Representative and his German counterpart begin actively working this issue within NATO military channels prior to the meetings described above. END SUMMARY ¶3. (S/NF) On December 1, we met informally with Baltic representatives to exchange updates on contingency planning. They remain committed to pursuing the addition of a Baltic section to the ongoing renewal of the Polish plan. We assured them that we are in the final stage of an interagency decision on the issue. We reiterated that Baltic leaders needed to refrain from any public statements on this sensitive decision. ¶4. (S/NF) Our Baltic contacts confirmed that a December 16 meeting of Baltic and Polish leaders had been scheduled and that contingency planning would be among the topics to be discussed (reftel). They stressed the need for positive signals from NATO on this issue prior to that meeting. ¶5. (S/NF) Separately, the U.S. Deputy Director (strictly protect) of the Secretary General's Private Office has informed us that the draft agenda for the Secretary General's December 10 meeting with SACEUR and the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee includes contingency planning. He has stressed that a U.S. decision prior to that meeting could help steer it in the right direction. ¶6. (S/NF) Action Request: We request that Washington expedite its efforts to finalize a decision by Monday, December 7, providing us the time we need to have the U.S. Military Representative and his German counterpart work this issue within NATO military channels prior to the meetings described above. Without a decision by then, our ability to guide this process in a non-politicized manner will be seriously compromised. DAALDER