VZCZCXRO2964
OO RUEHSL
DE RUEHNO #0532 3231535
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 191535Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS IMMEDIATE 7314
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3619
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 6571
RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA PRIORITY 7168
RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN PRIORITY 0017
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/USNMR SHAPE BE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY

S E C R E T USNATO 000532

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2019
TAGS: PREL MARR MCAP NATO LH ZB RS
SUBJECT: LITHUANIAN MOD DISCUSSES NATO CONTINGENCY PLANNING
FOR THE BALTICS

Classified By: Ambassador Ivo Daalder. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).

¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: In a November 17 meeting with Ambassador
Daalder, Lithuanian Defense Minister Rasa Jukneviciene
underscored the importance of NATO contingency planning to
Vilnius and asked about the status of U.S. thinking on the
subject. Ambassador Daalder said the issue was still being
studied in Washington but no decision had been made. He
urged that the discussion be conducted quietly and not in
public. END SUMMARY

Contingency Planning
--------------------

¶2. (S/NF) Jukneviciene underscored the importance of
contingency planning for Lithuania, adding that it was a
Lithuanian Presidential priority for discussions with
Washington. She said that Lithuania's focus was on
attaining an outcome (a plan or, at a minimum, a timeline)
and not on the process or "going public" about the issue.
She said that Lithuania was aware of the potential to expand
EAGLE GUARDIAN, the plan for the defense of Poland, to
include defense of the Baltics, adding that Vilnius would be
satisfied with that approach.

¶3. (S/NF) Jukneviciene said that she had heard that NATO
Secretary General Rasmussen has expressed concerns about the
potential impact of such planning on NATO engagement with
Russia to former U.S. Secretary of State Albright, who now
chairs the Secretary General's Group of Experts advising him
on the revision of NATO's Strategic Concept. She said she
had also heard that the EU's Javier Solana had expressed the
same opinion at a conference in Washington. Jukneviciene
contrasted these alleged remarks with the actions of Russia
during the Russian-Belarussian ZAPAD 2009 military exercise,
arguing that Moscow was clearly not concerned about damaging
relations with NATO or Russia's neighbors. She cited the
tepid response of some Allies to ZAPAD 2009 as an example of
the "Russian influence" on Alliance security issues.

Daalder Responds
----------------

¶4. (S/NF) Daalder responded by noting strong U.S. commitment
to NATO Article 5 commitments, as demonstrated by its
decision on Missile Defense, while noting that Washington was
still studying the issue of contingency planning. He also
urged Lithuania not to engage in a public debate on
contingency planning; something which he said would only
prove harmful to the Lithuanian cause. He stressed that this
issue should be discussed confidentially within NATO.

DAALDER