Leon Trotsky, Richard von Kühlmann et al:

Afternoon Session of 18 January

[From the (British) Daily Review of the Foreign Press, 29 January, 1918, p. 724. Proceedings of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Conference. Washington 1918, p. 115 f.]

A dispatch from Brest-Litovsk (via Petrograd. Jan. 26) states that the afternoon session of the German, Austro-Hungarian, and Russian Delegations for the discussion of political questions was opened at half-past five in the afternoon of Jan. 18.

The session was opened by Baron von Kühlmann, who said: “Gentlemen, we will now continue the session of the special commission, which was interrupted this morning."

M. Trotsky said:

The territorial claims presented by the German and Austro-Hungarian Delegations this morning complete in a certain sense the fundamental political pourparlers. The position of the other side on the question of territorial policy shows itself to us in concrete form as follows: Germany and Austria-Hungary are detaching from the possessions of the old Russian Empire territory exceeding 150.000 square kilometers, with frontiers comprising the ancient kingdom of Poland and Lithuania and considerable tracts inhabited by Ukrainians and Bielo-Russians. They are also cutting off territory inhabited by the Letts, dividing them into 36 parts, and the islands inhabited by the Esthonians from the continental part of Esthonia. The regime of military occupation will be maintained by Germany and Austria-Hungary not only after the conclusion of peace with Russia but after the conclusion of a general peace, and the Powers named refuse to give explanations of any sort not only on the subject of the date for the evacuation of the occupied countries, but they also refuse in general to give any pledges regarding the question of the evacuation of the countries mentioned by their troops. The internal life of these countries will flow compatible with their interests. In these conditions vague guarantees regarding the rights of the Poles. Lithuanians, or Letts will only be absolutely illusory. In fact, the affair is reduced to the fact that the German and Austro-Hungarian Governments will take into their hands the disposal of the fate of the peoples mentioned. We consider it a political duty to establish this fact openly in the phase which these pourparlers have now reached. After all the work that has been done I do not consider it urgent to submit a matter which is criticized in principle. The conditions mentioned prove that the point of view of Germany and Austria-Hungary is quite different from the principles recognized on Dec. 21 and that a real and stable peace of nations is only possible by the realization of the right of nations to decide freely their own destiny. In view of the work accomplished in the sense mentioned by the political commission, I propose the interruption of the work of our political commission in order to give the institutions directing the Russian Republic an opportunity to deliver their judgement on the peace conditions proposed to our Republic.

In my opinion this interruption should last for eight or nine days. Speaking for myself, I should endeavor to fix the next meeting of this Commission for Jan. 29, at 11 a. m.

In view of the fact that a section of public opinion in Germany reproaches the Russian Delegation with prolonging the pourparlers. I consider it urgent to declare here that clearness would undoubtedly have been reached quicker if the conditions of the opposite side had not, from the outset, been determined by a standpoint absolutely foreign to the principle of free determination of peoples, and by the conditions depending on the right of possession by war, and intended according to the words of the President of the German Delegation to protect the territories referred to from the revolutionary invasion. I have the honor to inform the President and the members of the two delegations that I am compelled, owing to my political duties, to leave for Petrograd, and during my absence the presidency of the Russian Delegation and all the corresponding powers will pass to Comrade Joffe.”

Baron von Kühlmann said:

“There is no need for me to emphasize that I can not associate myself with the explanations given now of our intentions at the end of the labors of our special commission by the president of the Russian Delegation and the criticism concerning the actions of the commission. What appears to be the greatest result is the fact that a considerable section of Ukrainians, in spite of intrigues, have entered the negotiations, as was stated this morning. At this moment an exchange of views with the Ukrainians is proceeding on the subject of nationality.