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E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/15 
TAGS: PARM KACT MARR PREL RS US UP
SUBJECT: (U) GOTTEMOELLER-NYKONENKO LUNCH, FEBRUARY 3, 2010 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Rose A. Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary, Department 
of State, VCI; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
 
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¶1.  (S) At a U.S.-hosted lunch on February 3 on the margins of the 
START Follow-on negotiations in Geneva, Assistant Secretary 
Gottemoeller met with the Ukrainian Director of Arms Control and 
Military and Technical Cooperation, Ambassador Aleksandr Nykonenko. 
Nykonenko inquired as to the progress of the START Follow-on 
negotiations.  He pressed for security assurances and noted 
concerns in Ukraine regarding Russia's ambitions.  Nykonenko asked 
Gottemoeller's advice on a proposal by Ukraine to meet with the P5 
members just prior to the kick-off of the Nuclear Security Summit 
in April.  Gottemoeller said the United States recognized the 
important and positive role Ukraine continued to play in the 
nonproliferation arena and asked about Ukraine's response at the 
summit regarding its highly enriched uranium (HEU).  Nykonenko 
expressed his concern about the suspension of Conventional Armed 
Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE).  Gottemoeller took the opportunity 
to inform him that the Secretary of State had just named Ambassador 
Victoria Nuland as Special Envoy for CFE.  Gottemoeller told 
Nykonenko Washington was positive toward Ukraine moving in a sound 
political and economic direction.  End summary. 
 
 
 
¶2.  (S) SUBJECT SUMMARY:  How Long Until it is Finished?; Ukraine's 
Security Assurances-Top Priority; Nuclear Security Summit and 
Ukraine; An Ambitious Russia; and Security Assurances Redux. 
 
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
HOW LONG UNTIL IT IS FINISHED? 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶3.  (S) At a U.S.-hosted lunch on February 3 on the margins of the 
START Follow-on negotiations, Nykonenko inquired as to the progress 
of the negotiations and when they might be finished.  Gottemoeller 
said that the negotiations had reconvened on February 1, after a 
short strategic pause in January and that she was measuring the 
time to complete the negotiations and sign the treaty in weeks, not 
months.  Nykonenko took the opportunity to offer Kyiv as a logical 
location for the signing of the new treaty.  There was already a 
Washington Treaty and a Moscow Treaty.  As Ukraine had contributed 
to the process of reductions, it would send a very positive signal 
to all to have such a ceremony in Kyiv.  Gottemoeller thanked 
Nykonenko for the offer and said she would reflect on it. 
 
 
 
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UKRAINE'S SECURITY ASSURANCES--TOP PRIORITY 
 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (S) Nykonenko volunteered that he had met with Russian 
Ambassador Antonov the day prior and had raised the issue of 
security assurances.  He reported that Antonov had been rather 
reserved and said that were Russia to give new security assurances 
to Ukraine it would confirm that a threat existed.  Making the same 
request of Gottemoeller, Nykonenko said that Ukraine needed such 
security assurances since there was much concern with the actions 
by the Russian Duma regarding the possible use of nuclear arms in 
nearby countries.  Gottemoeller said she had seen some press 
accounts about Russia's new nuclear doctrine and asked Nykonenko 
whether he had seen the document.  Responding "yes, of course," 
Nykonenko moved on to statements in the Romanian press about 
Ukraine stealing ethnic Romanian property and that Ukraine was not 
really a state and should be managed by Russia.  Gottemoeller noted 
that Romania was a member state of NATO which could be expected to 
respect other nations' territorial integrity.  Nykonenko said he 
understood, but that there was much concern in Ukraine that it was 
dependent on others.  Ukraine was looking for security assurances 
to calm the tension.  Gottemoeller asked whether NATO membership 
had come up in the Presidential election.  Nykonenko said that this 
issue had been avoided.  NATO was 5-8 years away. 
 
 
 
¶5.  (S) Gottemoeller noted that Russia had recently posted an 
ambassador to Ukraine and that dialogue was beginning to open up. 
This should be a good signal for Ukraine's leadership, she said. 
Nykonenko said this was a positive step.  He thanked Gottemoeller 
for the December 4 U.S.-Russia Joint Statement on Ukraine's 
participation in the successful implementation of START.  He added 
it was curious to some that the United States gave collective 
assurances to NATO countries and Belarus and Kazakhstan received 
assurances from Russia through the Confederation of Independent 
States.  Ukraine was not in a block and thus was vulnerable. 
 
 
 
¶6.  (S) Gottemoeller asserted that for the United States there was 
no change in its security assurances to Ukraine.  The United States 
felt it important to reiterate the assurances by sending Vice 
President Biden to deliver that same message in July 2009. 
Additionally, there had been no difference between the United 
States and Russia on this message.  We had been very consistent, 
she said.  Gottemoeller underscored the important and positive role 
in nonproliferation Ukraine had played and hoped Ukraine's policies 
would remain the same.  Nykonenko stated emphatically "yes," and 
asserted that Ukraine and the United States were strategic 
partners. 
 
 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT AND UKRAINE 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶7.  (S) Nykonenko requested Gottemoeller's advice on a proposal his 
foreign minster was considering regarding the Nuclear Security 
Summit in Washington in April.  Ukraine would like to meet with the 
other Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council 
 
perhaps before the kick-off to the Summit on April 12 to discuss 
security assurances.  His foreign minister would be calling the 
ambassadors of the P5 to explore this proposal.  Gottemoeller asked 
whether this would be a meeting of the Presidents.  Nykonenko 
demurred and said he was looking for ideas.  Ukraine just wanted to 
feel that it was not outside the nuclear group.  Ukraine needed an 
anchor for the next 5 to 10 years and was looking to the United 
States for help to persuade Russia to temper its ambitions. 
 
 
 
------------------- 
 
AN AMBITIOUS RUSSIA 
 
------------------- 
 
 
 
¶8.  (S) There were over a million Russian troops and pieces of 
military equipment that were outside of treaty limitations with 
Russia's suspension of the CFE Treaty, Nykonenko said.  Ukraine was 
in a new period of foreign policy.  Given concerns about gas 
supplies and economic issues along with CFE concerns, Ukraine was 
dealing with an ambitious Russia. 
 
 
 
¶9.  (S) Gottemoeller took the opportunity to inform Nykonenko that 
the Secretary of State had named Ambassador Victoria Nuland as 
Special Envoy for Conventional Armed Forces in Europe on February 
¶2.  Nuland's focus would be on conventional arms control in Europe 
and these issues should certainly be raised with her.  Nykonenko 
asked whether Gottemoeller had held any consultations with Russia 
on the CFE issue.  Gottemoeller said that most of her time had been 
focused on completing the negotiations for the START Follow-on 
treaty and that the CFE talks had been on hold.  With Ambassador 
Nuland's appointment these discussions should begin anew. 
 
 
 
------------------------- 
 
SECURITY ASSURANCES REDUX 
 
------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶10.  (S) Nykonenko returned to the issue of security assurances, 
saying that Ukraine would like to be invited to a round of 
negotiations on the issue involving also the United States and 
Russia.  Ukraine had a big border with Russia, over 2000 
kilometers, and was feeling unprotected.  A trilateral statement 
among the United States, Russia, and Ukraine on security assurances 
would be understood by everyone and would send a positive signal. 
It would help to ease the tensions created by statements coming out 
of Romania.  Gottemoeller reminded Nykonenko of the December 4, 
2009, U.S.- Russian Joint Statement confirming the U.S. and Russian 
assurances recorded in the Budapest Summit Memorandum.  Nykonenko 
said that maybe there needed to be another summit.  Gottemoeller 
suggested that there were many opportunities for Ukraine to hold 
security dialogues.  Ukraine's upcoming Presidential inaugural 
would be an excellent opportunity.  Ukraine's participation in the 
Partnership for Peace was another excellent venue.  Nykonenko said 
 
that Ukraine had tried to participate with the British in working 
on a repair contract for helicopters, but its participation was 
blocked by the Czech Republic because of Russia's influence.  There 
were many consequences of Russia's influence.  Russia is very 
sensitive to Ukraine's desire to participate with other countries. 
When Ukraine feels dependent on others it is painful and indicative 
of a lack of security.  Ukraine is looking for leverage to equalize 
its position vis a vis Russia, Romania and NATO.  Ukraine is a big 
country, he concluded. 
 
 
 
¶11.  (S) Gottemoeller said that Washington was very energized and 
positive about working toward sound political and economic 
cooperation with Ukraine.  Washington was looking to understand 
what Ukraine needed and wanted in a reenergized relationship. 
Gottemoeller reiterated that the existing security assurances were 
consistent with this approach.  The United States and Ukraine had a 
relationship along several trajectories, NATO, bilateral, and the 
security dialogue in November.  There were many ways to pursue 
opportunities and to build understanding.  Nykonenko asked when 
Ukraine could expect a response to its letter of November to 
President Obama.  Gottemoeller said that she was aware that a 
response was being prepared and that she would inquire as to its 
status. 
 
 
 
¶12.  (S) Gottemoeller inquired as to what Ukraine's response was 
likely to be at the Nuclear Security Summit regarding its HEU, 
noting that Ukraine had been deliberating for some time on the 
issue.  Nykonenko said that a decision would be taken by the new 
President; however, there would likely not be a statement about 
withdrawal of the HEU.  Ukraine was ready to start the withdrawal 
at the Kyiv Institute, but the problem was financing.  Russia was 
asking for one million USD to assist in the withdrawal process. 
There would be meeting with Acting Assistant Secretary Vann Van 
Diepen in March and Ukraine would be seeking U.S. assistance.  Such 
help would again be a good signal.  Ukraine would be ready to work 
on the spent fuel problem, which would be a positive step. 
 
 
 
¶13.  (S) Nykonenko thanked Gottemoeller for the opportunity to 
discuss his concerns and invited Gottemoeller to visit Kyiv. 
Gottemoeller thanked Nykonenko and offered that she was keen to 
come to Kyiv, saying she would consider it as soon as possible. 
 
 
 
¶14.  (S) Gottemoeller sends. 
LARSON