VZCZCXRO1448
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHKV #1327 1511424
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 311424Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2524
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KYIV 001327 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/UMB, EUR/PRM, AND EUR/PRA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2017 
TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: CFE EXTRAORDINARY CONFERENCE: REQUEST FOR 
U.S. POSITION 
 
REF: A. USOSCE 232 
     ¶B. USOSCE 230 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Kent Logsdon for reasons 1.4(b,d) 
 
¶1. (U) This is a guidance request.  See para 6. 
 
¶2. (U) We met May 31 with MFA Arms Control and Military 
Technical Cooperation Department Director Volodymyr Belashov 
at his request to discuss the Conventional Forces in Europe 
(CFE) Extraordinary Conference called by Russia for June 
12-15.  Belashov began by asking who would lead the U.S. 
delegation, or at least at what level the U.S. would be 
represented.  Belashov said he or Ukrainian OSCE PermRep 
Volodymyr Yelchenko was likely to lead the delegation, but if 
a number of other delegations were led by deputy ministers, 
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Veselovsky could 
head the delegation. 
 
¶3. (C) Belashov said MFA was prepared to attend the 
Extraordinary Conference.  He had just completed a draft of 
instructions for the delegation, deliberately keeping them 
general so that the delegation head, who could very likely be 
Belashov, would have the flexibility to make adjustments to 
the Ukrainian position.  MFA would shortly forward the 
directive for the President's signature.  A Ukrainian MFA 
press statement was also nearly ready. 
 
¶4. (C) Belashov foresaw that Russia would be isolated at the 
Extraordinary Conference, with only Belarus in its corner and 
possibly with Kazhakhstan's tepid backing.  The most likely 
result would be a Russian decision to suspend its 
participation in CFE, but recent Russian statements had 
persuaded Belashov that this was not a foregone conclusion. 
Belashov noted what he saw as the correctness of the Russian 
view that adapted CFE was necessary in light of changes, such 
as NATO expansion and other developments since the 
dissolution of the Soviet Union.  He suggested that the 
Extraordinary Conference could be an opportunity to consider 
adjustments that might ease Russian fulfillment of its 
Istanbul Commitments to withdraw Russian forces from Georgia 
and Moldova and pave the way for adoption of adapted CFE.  He 
floated several ideas about how this might be done, stressing 
that he had not received approval from his superiors 
regarding his suggestions, although he knew they were in 
general agreement regarding the approach. 
 
¶5. (C) Belashov said he would be meeting with a German 
diplomat, possibly together with a European Commission 
official, later in the day on the same topic.  He had a list 
of 17 countries with whom he would ideally consult, but 
meetings with the U.S. and EU representatives were the most 
important.  He asked to know what position U.S. would take at 
the Extraordinary Conference.  He would be willing to arrive 
in Vienna a few days early for pre-meetings and consultations 
with his U.S. counterparts, but noted that a pre-meeting a 
day before the event would be too late. 
 
¶6. (U) Request information on who will lead the U.S. 
delegation and the U.S. position that we can share with 
Belashov.  Please advise whether there is interest in 
arranging for pre-meetings in Vienna with the head of the 
Ukrainian delegation. 
 
¶7. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website: 
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev. 
Taylor