C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001095 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 
08/11/2018 TAGS: NATO, PARM, KCFE, RU, GG SUBJECT: TFGG01: GERMANY CITES
FRENCH-LED "PROGRESS" AUGUST 11, CAUTIOUS ON NAC STATEMENT REF: STATE 
85678 Classified By: Acting DCM Jeffrey Rathke for Reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d) 

1. (C) Acting DCM delivered reftel points August 11 to Chancellor 
Merkel's Deputy National Security Advisor Rolf Nikel and to Foreign 
Office acting Political Director Emily Haber. We also discussed Georgia 
with Office Directors for NATO and Caucasus affairs.

Chancellor Will Go to Sochi August 15
------------------------------------- 

2. (C) Asked 
whether Merkel still planned to visit Sochi August 15 in light of 
Russia's disproportionate response to events in South Ossetia, Nikel 
confirmed that the visit is still on. 

3. (C) Nikel said Germany had 
received readouts from French Foreign Minister Kouchner's visit to 
Tbilisi, and was aware of President Sarkozy's planned August 12 visit to
Moscow. Nikel said Kouchner had made progress in getting from Georgian 
President Saakashvili a Non-Use of Force pledge, and he would take this 
"in his pocket" to Moscow. Added to the Georgian unilateral cease-fire, 
this might present a basis for movement in Moscow, Nikel said. There 
were indications that Russia might be ready to talk, according to Nikel,
including an alleged public statement by Medvedev August 11 that Russia
had achieved most of its military objectives. Nikel said the Russians 
also had affirmed that they were not pursuing a "regime change" policy 
in Georgia but was not able immediately to cite the source of the 
information.

Germans Cautious on NAC Statement 
--------------------------------- 

4. (C) Nikel objected to the word 
"condemn" in U.S. key points for a NAC statement. He said that "naming 
and shaming" the Russians would undercut Sarkozy's and Kouchner's 
efforts at a time when France believed progress was possible. Acting 
Political Director Haber did not offer an opinion on the points in a 
conversation that was interrupted on the German side by a call involving
Minister Steinmeier. Later in the day the MFA NATO Office Director 
Schlageck said the MFA was coming around on the idea of a NAC statement.
He said he shared the U.S. analysis of the situation but did not 
believe the direct language proposed in the U.S. draft would complement 
other international efforts. The MFA was waiting for the results of an 
August 11 Quad meeting in Brussels, and would prepare instructions based
on that conversation.

FM Steinmeier's August 10 Conversation with Lavrov
-------------------------------------------------- 

5. (C) Haber 
confirmed that FM Steinmeier spoke on the evening of August 10 with 
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. She said Steinmeier emphasized that 
Russia "had crossed a Rubicon" and needed to reciprocate the Georgian 
cease-fire immediately and withdraw any troops that had crossed from 
South Ossetia or Abkhazia into other parts of Georgia. Lavrov reportedly
rejected Steinmeier's demand, saying that Georgian forces were still 
fighting (as of evening August 10) in four areas of South Ossetia. 

TIMKEN JR