In the midst of last August’s coup, American policy makers and analysts were perplexed at the events taking place in the Soviet Union.  And while the coup failed, it demonstrated that many specialists inside and outside of government were lacking in critical information and of an informed perspective of events there. In order to ensure that American officials remain informed of events in the former Soviet Union, the American Foreign Policy Council arranged for a senior U.S. delegation to meet with top officials in the Soviet and Russian governments from November 24 to December 1, 1991. 

 

The delegation was bipartisan and included many senior specialists and well-known figures in foreign policy circles.  It was comprised of Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor to President Carter and a noted observer of Soviet affairs; Dr. Fred Ikle, former Undersecretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration and a keen analyst of national security affairs; General William Odom, former Director of the National Security Agency during the Reagan Administration and a highly respected scholar on the Soviet Union; Dr. William Schneider, former Undersecretary of State during the Reagan Administration and the current Chairman of the President’s Advisory Council on Arms Control; Robert Reilly, a Senior Editor at the Voice of America; and Sven Kraemer, a former Director of Arms Control on the National Security Council in the Reagan White House and powerful thinker on defense issues.

 

The American delegation had a unique and uninhibited opportunity to discuss various critical issues with senior Soviet and Russian officials.  The immediate post-coup environment was a critical time, and during late November a number of crucial decisions were being made regarding the future of the Soviet Union, decisions that would seal the fate of the Soviet state.

 

While in Moscow, the American delegation met with Eduard Shevardnadze, who at the time was still serving as the Soviet Foreign Minister.  The meeting lasted nearly two ours and included an eye-opening discussion concerning the Foreign Minster’s views of the nationality question as well as a discussion with the American delegation concerning what form a post-Soviet Union might take.

 

The American delegation also had the opportunity to meet privately with several senior military officials.  Early in the trip, the delegation met with General Konstantin Kobyets, chief military advisor to President Yeltsin.  They discussed the possible future structure and organization of the armed forces, as well as the current problems facing conscripts: the shortage of housing, food and other equipment.  The discussion ended with a broad exchange on the problems with converting the military to civilian production. 

 

Other officials the American delegation met with include Ruslan Khasbulatov, Chairman of the Russian Parliament; Sergey Filatov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Parliament; Yuri Voronin and Vladimir Shumako, Deputy Chairmen of the Russian Parliament; Vladimir Ispravnikov, Chairman of the Russian government’s Supreme Economic Council; Vladimir Lukin, now Russian Ambassador to the U.S.; and Victor Utkin, head of the All Union Independent Coal Miners.

 

The effect that the trip will have cannot be measured in terms of only what delegation members learned.  Said AFPC President Herman Pirchner, “The AFPC delegation returned home to give private briefings to many in the U.S. government, from top civil servants to cabinet members, who since have given briefings on nationwide news shows and to key think tanks.  The meetings have also aided some important ongoing discussions between our two governments.