760D.61/3–1144
The Soviet Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The following are the texts of the answer of the Finnish Government64 to the Soviet peace terms and the consequent reply of the Soviet Government.
“The Finnish Government which is earnestly desiring to establish in the shortest possible time peaceful relations between Finland and the U.S.S.R., has thoroughly studied the peace terms of the Soviet Union to Finland.
“The Finnish Government realizes, that in order that Finland may remain neutral after the conclusion of peace it is necessary that no foreign troops belonging to a belligerent power should remain on her territory. However, this question is so complicated that it demands a more thorough consideration. The Finnish Government therefore desires to suggest to start negotiations so that Finland could have the possibility to explain its point of view on that question and also regarding other questions in connection with the peace terms proposed by the Soviet Government.”
The Soviet Government deems it necessary to give the following answer65 to the statement of the Finnish Government of March 8th.
“The Soviet Government has acquainted itself with the reply of the Finnish Government, transmitted in Stockholm to Madame Kollontai by Mr. Boheman and considers it entirely unsatisfactory. In regard to that reply the Soviet Government states: The Soviet peace terms to Finland, in the form of six points, transmitted to Mr. Paasikivi on February 19, are minimal and elementary and only upon acceptance of these terms by the Finnish Government Soviet-Finnish negotiations regarding the cessation of hostilities and regarding the establishment of peace between the U.S.S.R. and Finland are possible.
“Should these terms be accepted by Finland and should the Finnish Government agree in principle to the internment of the German [Page 575] troops, the Soviet Government is ready to discuss the latter question during the negotiations in Moscow.
“The Soviet Government deems it necessary to inform the Finnish Government hereby, that the Soviet Government will await a positive reply within a week, i.e. until March 18, after that the Soviet Government will consider that the Finns are deliberately delaying the negotiations for certain not clear for us purposes and are rejecting the Soviet terms.
“The Soviet Government taking into account the interests of the Finnish Government agrees to keep secret the correspondence as well as the negotiations.”
- This reply from the Finnish Government was a revised one. A substantially identical translation of this text from the Swedish Government was sent to the Department in telegram 219, March 11, 1944, from Helsinki; not printed.↩
- Delivered to the Swedish Government on March 10 for transmittal to the Finnish Government.↩