CO 6 6 94 4 O3 IED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694403 Date 06 25 2019 NODIS WED NOV 01 09 57 57 2000 LONDON 15874 COPY Page P J P7345 2 of 5 RELEASE IN PTP7345 SEEIU 'P LONDON PAGE 01 15874 01 OF 03 011107Z FULL IDECLASSIFIEOJ NODIS OOJ 5 01 0 01 P Ol T Ol SS Ol ACDA Ol DR Ol EUR Ol INRX Oll PA Ol PM Ol READX 01 SENS Ol SNIS Ol SP Ol UNW Ol @INFO · @COMMENTS PASSED TO NSC CIA DOD ANO CJCS BY S S-0 011024L HKT TOTAL COPIES 016 --------aaa a ---INFO LOG-00 CCOE-00 ADS-00 OOOW ------------------E92D77 0 011107Z SEP 93 FM AMEMBASSY LONDON TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8611 INFO EMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY KIEV IMMEDIATE OlllOBZ 38 SE e Re SECTION 01 OF 03 LONDON 15874 NODIS DECAPTIONED E O 12356 DECL OADR TAGS PREL UK RS UP PAGE 01 LONDON 0015874 SUBJECT 011107Z SEP 93 TALBOTT-FCC DISCUSSION OF U S -RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN TRILATERAL MEETING l S C ET - ENTIRE TEXT SUMMARY 2 TALBOTT TOLD FCO OFFICIALS THAT TRILATERAL MEETINGS IN LONDON ON AUGUST 27 HAD REVEALED CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS IN BILATERAL RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN DISCUSSIONS AIMED AT DEACTIVATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN UKRAINE THE RUSSIANS APPEAR PREPARED TO SIGN A BILATERAL AGREEMENT AT A YELTSIN-KRAVCHUK MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 3 THOUGH SOME KEY UKRAINIANS STILL OPPOSE U S TRILATERAL DRAFT REMAINS IN PLAY THE FCO OFFICIALS WERE CRITICAL OF CHERNOMYRDIN ASSERTING THAT HE WAS A MAJOR PLAYER BEHIND THE CURRENCY DEBACLE CONSPIRACY END SUMMARY UKRAINE AND RUSSIA ·- - --· -- - - _ i i _1 - ·-· 0 _ _ I •• • • - _ • -• • ----·· -1•· ---------- - _ MORE PROGRESS THAN HAD MET THE EYE 3 ON AUGUST 27 AMBASSADOR TALBOTT ALONG WITH BRIGADIER GENERAL GORDAN AND S NIS SPECIAL ASSISTANT NOLAND BRIEFED FCO POLITICAL DIRECTOR APPLEYARD AND EASTERN AFFAIRS DIRECTOR MANNING ON TRILATERAL TALKS WITH RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER EDOV AND UKRAINIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TARASYUK THE PREVIOUS DAY AMBASSADOR SEITZ AND POLCOUNS HABIB NOTETAKER PARTICIPATED IN THE BRIEFING TALBOTT SAID HE WAS PLEASED WITH THE TALKS WHICH HAD AIMED AT ACHIEVING PROGRESS ON THE DEACTIVATION OF UKRAINIAN SS-19S AND BUILDING A TRIANGULAR RELATIONSHIP OF MUTUAL CONFIDENCE DECLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY Geoffrey W Chapman Senior Reviewer A GIS IPS 3 2512019 - ·-·· -·· -·- ---- -·- I I UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694403 Date 06 25 2019 From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive ACTION NODS-OD CO 6 6 9 4 4 O3FIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694403 Date 06 25 2019 D NOV 01 09 57 57 2000 LONDON 15874 NODIS COPY Page 3 of 5 5 TALBOTT SAID A NUMBER OF UKRAINIAN LEADERS HAD ALREADY INITIALED THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT BUT SOME IMPORTANT FIGURES HAD NOT DONE SO DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TARASYUK INDICATED HE WOULD STRONGLY OPPOSE THE BILATERAL TEXT URGING KIEV TO HOLD OUT FOR THE U S TRILATERAL DRAFT TARASYUK SEEMED CONCERNED HOWEVER THAT THE RUSSIAN BILATERAL TEXT WOULD PREVAIL WITHIN HIS OWN GOVERNMENT OUR APPROACH TALBOTT EXPLAINED WAS NOT TO JEOPARDIZE PROSPECTS FOR THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT WHILE KEEPING OUR OWN PROPOSAL IN PLAY TAAASYUK HAD EAGERLY SOUGHT A COPY OF THE U S TRILATERAL DRAFT TO USE IT TO TORPEDO THE BILATERAL TEXT WE HAD DECLINED GIVING HIM ONLY OUR CONCEPT FOR AN AGREEMENT POINTING OUT THAT OUR INTENTION HAD ALWAYS BEEN TO WORK THE TEKT WITH THE RUSSIANS BEFORE PROVIDING IT TO THE UKRAI IANS 6 LOOKING TOWARD SEPTEMBER 3 TALBOTT SAID THE RUSSIANS WERE OBVIOUSLY PREPARED TO SIGN THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT BUT THE JURY WAS STILL OUT ON THE UKRAINIANS WE WERE HOPEFUL BUT WERE PREPARED TO PROCEED WITH OUR TRILATERAL TEXT IF NECESSARY 7 APPLEYARD EXPRESSED ADMIRATION FOR THE U -S EFFORT ON DEACTIVATION UNDERSCORING THAT THE BRITISH WERE · PREPARED TO DO WHATEVER SEEMED USEFUL TO SUPBORT· OUR LEAD • A MIXED BAG THE SS-24S START l AND THE NPT · - - -· 6BCRCT SECRET SECTION 02 OF 03 LONDON 15874 - - -- - -- 4 - • - -·· · --- 8 TALBOTT SAID WE HAD ALSO PRESSED THE UKRAINIANS ON EARLY DEACTIVATION OF THEIR SS-24S THE UKRAINIANS SAY THEY INTEND TO DEACTIVATE BUT THAT THE RADA WOULD OPPOSE AN EARLY MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION AND THAT TJUS_C9 ULD THEN ALSO JEOPARDIZE PROSPECTS REGARDING THE SS-19S WE STRESSED THAT KIEV MUST TAKE SOME POSITIVE ACTION TO DEMONSTRATE MOVEMENT ON THE SS-24S AND GIVE A CLEAR SIGN THAT THEY WERE NOT CONSIDERED EXEMPT FROM LISBON PROTOCOL WE SAID KRAVCHUK WOULD NOT BE WELCOME IN WASHINGTON IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH A STEP TARASYUK INDICATED THAT THE UKRAINIANS MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694403 Date 06 25 2019 From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive 4 THE U S SIDE HAD INTENDED TO FOCUS THE TALKS ON A U S TRILATERAL PROPOSAL TO DEACTIVATE UKRAINIAN SS-19S HOWEVER THE TALKS HAO REVEALED THAT THE RUSSIANS ANO UKRAINIANS HAD THEMSELVES BEEN HOLDING INTENSIVE BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS ON DEACTIVATION THAT CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE AND THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT YELTSIN AND KRAVCHUK WOULD SIGN AN AGREEMENT ON SEPTEMBER 3 THE PROSPECTIVE BILATERAL AGREEMENT •WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE STORAGE OF THE SS-19 MISSILES IN RUSSIA AND COMPENSATION TO THE UKRAINIANS IN THE FORM OF RUSSIAN DELIVERIES OF LOW GRADE REACTOR URANIUM BEGINNING IN ABOUT 18 MONTHS THE U S TRILATERAL PROPOSAL WOULD REQUIRE THE WARHEADS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE MISSILES AND TEMPORARILY STORED IN UKRAINE WE WOULD ALSO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE MONETARY COMPENSATION TO THE UKRAINIANS FOR THE FISSIONABLE MATERIAL IN THE WARHEADS C06694403IED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694403 Date 06 25 2019 WED NOV 01 09 57 57 2000 LONDON 15874 NODIS Page COPr 4 of 5 MQVE BUT ONLY IF IT WERE NOT PERCEIVED AS A RESPONSE TO U S CONDITIONALITY REGARDING A KRAVCHUK VISIT 9 IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION TALBOTT OPINED THAT THE UKRAINIANS WERE PREPARED TO RATIFY START I BUT STILL HAD A WAYS TO GO REGARDING NPT ADHERENCE TARASYUK THOUGHT THE RADA WOULD RATIFY START I THIS YEAR YELTSIN AND THE HARDLINERS 11 RESPONDING TO A QUESTION FROM APPLEYARD ·TALBOTT SAID YELTSIN APPEARED TO HAVE SHARPENED HIS DOMESTIC STRATEGY SINCE RETURNING FROM YACATION HIS HEALTH APPEARED TO HAVE IMPROVED AS WELL DISCUS ION THEN TURNED TO PRIME MINISTER CHERNOMYRDIN TALBOTT SAID MAMEDOV HAD CALLED THE PRIME MINISTER THE CRUCIAL FIGURE IN THE DOMESTIC POLITICAL EQUATION YELTSIN WAS FINISHED IF CHERNOMYRDIN SIDED WITH PARLIAMENT MANNING THOUGHT THE PM'S INSTINCTS WERE ESSENTIALLY CONSERVATIVE HE HAD MAD SEVERAL APPOINTMENTS WHICH FAVORED THEM OVER THE REFORMERS MANNING ADDED THAT CHERNOMYRDIN WAS IN PART RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CURRENCY DEBACLE WHICH HE AND APPLEYARD IN STARK CONTRAST THEY NOTED TO TRE -BRITcISI AMBASSADOR IN MOSCOW BELIEVED WAS A CONSPIRACY INTENDED TO DAMAGE YELTSIN APPLEYARD SAID YELTSIN HAD INVITED MAJOR TO VISIT THIS FALL BUT THE PM WAS MORE LIKELY TO DEFER UNTIL EARLY NEXT YEAR 12 TURNING TO THE BALTICS TALBOTT SAID DOV HAD BEEN SANGUINE ABOUT A RESOLUTION OF THE LITHUANIAN PROBLEM THE YELTSIN- BRAZAUSKAS MEETING WOULD LIKELY BE RESCHEDULED AND A FACE SAVING AGREEMENT WORKED OUT E G THE LITHUANIANS MIGHT DROP THEIR DEMAND EOR - - ·• · _ COMPENSATION WITH THE RUSSIANS AGREEING TO COM-P-i E1'E • -· · -·· · •• THEIR TROOP WITHDRAWAL BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER -- - APPLEYARD NOTED THAT THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN LO N D OtL AS SIGNALLING THAT THERE WOULD ONLY BE A BRIEF DELAY IN COMPLETING THE WITHDRAWAL ' 13 ON NATO EXPANSION TO THE EAST MAMEDOV HAD BEEN - VERY RELAXED OBSERVING THAT DOUBTS AMONG ALLIANCE MEMBERS WOULD BLOCK NEW ASPIRANTS APPLEYARD SAID OFF THE RECORD THAT MAJOR HAD SAID HE THINKS POLAND AND EVENTUALLY SOME OTHERS SHOULD BECOME NATO MEMBERS BUT IT WAS BY NO MEANS CLEAR THAT THIS WAS BRITISH POLICY 14 APPLEYARD SAID HE HAD RAISED THE BW ISSUE ON AUGUST 26 IN A MEETING WITH MAMEDOV THE DEPUTY - FOREIGN MINISTER HAD MADE SOME SEMI-REASSURING NOISES BUT HAD NOT GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT THE INTERNAL OPPOSITION HAD BEEN TOTALLY OVERCOME 15 IN CLOSING DISCUSSION TALBOTT ASKED THAT THE UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694403 Date 06 25 2019 From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive 10 APPLEYARD REMARKED THAT TALBOTT'S PRESENTATION HAD CONVINCED HIM THE UKRAINIANS WERE BEING MORE RESPONSIVE ON THE NUCLEAR ISSUE THAN LONDON HAD THOUGHT HE OBSERVED THAT THE UKRAINIANS HARBOR A DEEP NOT UNJUSTIFIED SENSE OF INSECURITY VIS-A-VIS THE RUSSIANS THEY PERCEIVE PROBABLY CORRECTLY THAT MOSCOW HAS STILL NOT ACCEPTED THAT UKRAINE IS NO LONGER A PART OF RUSSIA THEY ARE WORRIED AND UNWILLING TO BET THE FARM ON YELTSIN CO 6 6 9 4 4 O3 IED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694403 Date 06 25 2019 WED NOY 01 09 57 57 2000 LONDON 15874 SECRET SECTION 03 or NODIS COPY Page 5 of 5 03 LONOON 15874 BRITISH CONTINUE TO STRESS TO THEIR RUSSIAN INTERLOCUTORS THE IMPORTANCE or YELTSIN KEEPING HIS COMMITMENT TO VISIT TOKYO IN MID-OCTOBER SEITZ r Sl CftE _- ' - -- 4 - • --- - - -- -_- • - - _ •'- • •· • • •• - -- • 1 ·- - I - 4 · · pp UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06694403 Date 06 25 2019 From the Nunn-Lugar collection of the National Security Archive