Стр. 30 - V

Электронное приложение к журналу «Международная жизнь»
Author : Yu. Bulatov
Dean, School of International Relations, Professor, Department of World and Russian History, Moscow State
Institute (University) of International Relations, Doctor of Science (History)
BY ITS ATTACK at the Soviet Union fascist Germany destroyed
the international balance of power. Prime Minister of Great Britain
Winston Churchill said in his broadcasted address: "Any man or
State who fights against Nazism will have our aid. Any man or State
who marches with Hitler is our foe.... That is our policy and that is
our declaration. It follows, therefore, that we shall give whatever
help we can to Russia and to the Russian people."
The diplomatic and other missions of the United Kingdom in other
countries were instructed to promptly revive or establish direct con-
tacts with the embassies and permanent missions of the Soviet
Union in their countries.
At the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War, the British side having
signed the treaty with the USSR on alliance in the war against Hitlerite Germany on July 12,
1941, repeatedly violated its obligation to "neither negotiate nor conclude an armistice or treaty
of peace except by mutual agreement."
The British deemed it necessary to double the first contact between the British intelligence and
the Soviet Embassy along the official diplomatic channels: Councilor of the British Embassy
Halley arrived to the Soviet embassy as a "special representative" and was received by Councilor
Kozlov.
Moscow promptly informed about the details of the first contacts between Councilor Kozlov
and members of the British diplomatic mission in Kabul concluded that the British diplomats
had received from their government carte blanche, but not the powers of decision-making, where
the subjects of discussions with Soviet diplomats were concerned. No wonder the process
stopped at the stage of discussions and exchange of opinions.
Yury Tikhonov, historian of the Russian special services, has written that Fraser-Tytler was the
first representative of the UK in the rank of ambassador who visited the Soviet Embassy in
Kabul to meet the ambassador. Both diplomats were restrained since the long years of con-
frontation or even hostility between the Soviet Union and the UK in Afghanistan had created
an "image of an enemy." It should be said that Ambassador Mikhaylov was restrained not only
because of the "burden of the past." He knew that the British were planning to play a game
with the Russians on the "Afghan platform." According to Councilor Kozlov, in the first months
of the Soviet-German war, this British officer, when talking to Chief of Staff of the Afghan
Army Omar Khan, never tried to hide the fact that he was not among those who wanted a Soviet
victory over fascist Germany.
The Soviet Union and the UK: The Afghan Format of Talks and
Consultations in 1941