Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09WARSAW932
2009-09-10 15:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Warsaw
Cable title:  

POLISH APPROACH TO CFE SIMILAR TO U.S.

Tags:  KCFE PARM PREL NATO PL 
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O 101544Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8865
INFO RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2854
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0508
C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 000932 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2019
TAGS: KCFE PARM PREL NATO PL
SUBJECT: POLISH APPROACH TO CFE SIMILAR TO U.S.

REF: STATE 92528

Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Craig M. Conway
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 000932

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2019
TAGS: KCFE PARM PREL NATO PL
SUBJECT: POLISH APPROACH TO CFE SIMILAR TO U.S.

REF: STATE 92528

Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Craig M. Conway
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Officials at the MFA Security Policy Department
appreciated reftel debriefing on bilateral U.S.-Russia CFE
discussions and look forward to a more detailed discussion at
next week's High Level Task Force (HLTF) meeting. GOP views
on resolving the current impasse with Russia parallel U.S.
views, according to Security Policy Department First
Counselor Mieczyslaw Kuzinski. He noted that Warsaw would
very much like to retain CFE, but the Alliance might soon be
forced to consider other options, including facing the hard
reality that CFE will lapse completely in practical terms.
Kuzinski asserted that CFE had already lost much of its
relevance as a confidence-building mechanism as a result of
the Russian suspension. He gave the Treaty only "another two
to three years" before most Allies lose all interest in
reaching a compromise with Moscow. Nonetheless, it is
important to maintain the dialogue not only to find an
acceptable middle course for CFE and Adapted CFE, but also to
avoid the prospect of negotiating, on Moscow's terms, Russian
proposals for a new security architecture in Europe.
Kuzinski speculated that Moscow might also be marking time on
CFE until the Russians see what sort of agreement they will
be able to reach with the U.S. on missile defense and
post-START arrangements.


2. (C) Kuzinski said the GOP had no specific suggestions for
breaking the impasse, nor did the Poles have high
expectations that next week's HLTF meeting would produce any
"brilliant ideas" from the Allies. In the meantime, Kuzinski
argued that the Alliance should continue to hold the line on
flank limitations despite Russia's strong opposition. The
principle of solidarity demands that the Alliance should not
make any concessions on this point at the expense of
countries like Turkey. He added that Russia had made this
issue a non-starter for NATO, particularly in the wake of
last year's conflict with Georgia.


3. (C) Finally, Kuzinski maintained that provisional or
partial implementation of the Adapted CFE Treaty might be a
problem for many of the European Allies. He explained that
the legal systems in these countries did not provide for less
than full implementation. However, he said Poland would
welcome further suggestions concerning this option.
ASHE