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Document No. 108: Speech by Marshal Kulikov at the Committee of Ministers of Defense Meeting in Strausberg, December 2–5, 1985 ——————————————————————————————————————————— In this speech, Kulikov declares in shrill tones the warning that the United States is essentially preparing the ground for an attack against the Warsaw Pact, and forcing the rest of NATO to go along with it. It is interesting to compare his viewpoint with that of East German leader Erich Honecker, by no means soft on the West, who is much more at ease during this period (see Document No. 109). The timing of Kulikov’s speech is also of interest, coming one week after the Geneva summit between Reagan and Gorbachev, which while initiating a process of dialogue between the superpowers yielded no concrete aggreement, particularly on SDI, which was not reassuring for the Soviet side. ____________________ The U.S. is accelerating its development of first-strike weapons and new types of strategic carriers—the intercontinental “MX” ballistic missiles, the submarine-based “Trident-2” missiles, and the B-1B heavy bomber. The stationing of long-range cruise missiles of various types is being stepped up. Especially in Europe, nuclear capability is being reinforced. Parallel to these preparations for nuclear war, preparations for conventional warfare are also underway. The main emphasis is on preemptive attacks by army groups and naval formations already existing in times of peace, and the simultaneous firing of long-range precision weapons practically to the total depth of the build-up of our armed forces in the western and southwestern theaters of war. In this connection, NATO has officially adopted the concept of “the fight against the second echelon” [Follow-On Forces Attack (FOFA)] and the U.S. has adopted the term “AirLand Battle.” The other NATO countries are becoming increasingly drawn into the U.S. administration ’s adventurous war plans. The most active partners of the U.S. are the Federal Republic of Germany and GreatBritain.ThereisastrongcontingentofNATOarmedforcesonFederalRepublic of Germany territory. West Germany is becoming a major supplier of the most modern weapons. The thrust and attack potential of the Federal German Armed Forces is constantly being increased. The policies of Great Britain, Italy and Turkey are displaying increasingly militaristic tendencies. The national armed forces are being strengthened and equipped with modern war technology, and U.S. air force and naval bases are being established in these countries. Furthermore, nuclear missiles are being stationed on UK and Italian territory. An all-encompassing plan for perfecting the process of putting NATO forces into a state of readiness for combat and mobilization has been worked out and is now in the implementation stage. Our probable enemy is doing everything it can, both strategically and operationally, to be ready for attack. [Source: DVW 1/71044, BA-MA. Translated by Ursula Froese.] 513 ...

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