CFE/JCG DECEMBER 2009 MEETINGS - NATO, DON'T SHIFT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000282 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/RPM NSC FOR FRIEDT, HAYDEN JCS FOR J5 NORWOOD, COL SMITH OSD FOR ISA (KEHL, WALLENDER) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCFE OSCE PARM PREL SUBJECT: CFE/JCG DECEMBER 2009 MEETINGS - NATO, DON'T SHIFT THE BLAME TO RUSSIA Sensitive but Unclassified; please protect accordingly. Not for Internet. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: At the December 8 and 15 Joint Consultative Group (JCG) plenary meetings, Allies objected to three more cases of Russia refusing CFE inspection requests. Denmark, on behalf of NATO states, made a statement calling on Russia to provide its annual CFE Treaty information exchange data, noting that failure to do so could make it difficult for us to provide information to Russia in the future. Russia, citing the Athens Ministerial NATO statement, called on all States to demonstrate the political will to negotiate "a way forward on the basis of the Parallel Actions Package so that together we can preserve the benefits of this landmark regime." ¶2. (SBU) As expected, Russia did not provide its CFE annual exchange of military information, nor did we receive the one-page summary provided the past two years. Russia said the one-page summary should be available by next week. The U.S. provided its data as JCG.EMI/14/09. Azerbaijan again declared tanks and artillery over allowed national limits under CFE. The first meeting of the JCG in 2010 will take place on January 19. End Summary. Russia - Please Provide Data - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (SBU) At the December 15 JCG Plenary, Denmark, on behalf of NATO CFE parties, made a statement requesting that Russia provide its CFE Treaty data, noting that Allies have agreed to submit our data to all States Parties in order to fulfill our Treaty obligations. (JCG.JOUR/713, Annex 1). The NATO statement also referenced the Allied statement at the OSCE Ministerial MC.DEL/78/09, which was also appended to the Journal of this meeting. ¶4. (SBU) Initial mission rep analysis of the annual exchange of military information (effective as of 1 Jan 2010) provided by CFE States Parties resulted in one significant finding: Azerbaijan declared 161 Battle Tanks and 140 artillery pieces respectively over their allowed national limits under the CFE treaty. ¶5. (SBU) Russian Ambassador Ulyanov responded officially to the NATO statement, drawing attention to their view of "one serious internal inconsistency in the position taken by the Alliance." (JCG.JOUR/713/Annex 2) Ulyanov says NATO calls for Russia to lift its moratorium are not consistent with our commitment to the PAP. Russia believes this is an unrealistic approach, and NATO's absolute unwillingness to engage in substantive and intensive work to extricate the CFE Treaty from crisis is most worrying. Russia shares Allied concerns about the current situation which carries the risk of the erosion or even complete loss of the conventional arms control regime. Russia is pleased that the Allied statement at the Athens Ministerial calls for "...intensified efforts in cooperation with Russia in 2010 to find a way forward on the basis of the PAP so that together we can preserve the benefits of this landmark regime." ¶6. (SBU) Ukraine and Moldova made national statements supporting the Danish statement, and urging that action be taken toward full implementation of the Treaty by all States Parties. Both reaffirmed their continued commitment to implement and preserve the regime. Three More Inspection Refusals - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶7. (SBU) Canada (Gosal),made a statement regretting Russia's refusal of its inspection request scheduled for 14 December (JCG.JOUR/713, Annex 3). At the December 8 JCG meeting, the U.S. and Hungary also made statements about recent Russian refusals of inspections. (JCG.JOUR/712 Annexes 1 and 2). On December 8, thirteen Allies spoke in support of these statements. On December 15, fifteen Allies supported, including the U.S. (JCG.JOUR/713, Annex 4). ¶8. (SBU) Russia, unable to resist the opportunity for the last word of 2009, called these Allied statements "divorced from political reality." Ulyanov began by declaring that the CFE Treaty started degrading in the 1990's, and only due to Russian efforts was it possible to find a way to keep it (read: a/CFE). He went on to say the Treaty has been further deteriorating for the past decade. This is because of NATO's refusal to engage. Clearly addressing the NATO delegations, USOSCE 00000282 002 OF 002 Ulyanov closed with "Let's call a spade a spade - don't shift the blame to Russia." NOTE: As the final plenary took place the day after the FSC-organized Heads of Verification (HOV) meeting in Vienna, the JCG audience was both larger and more senior than average - a tempting target for Ulyanov's theatrics. End Note. FULLER