SOVIET ATTITUDE

Grey River Argus, 5 December 1940, Page 7

SOVIET ATTITUDE

Security Sought FOR TERRITORY LATELY ACQUIRED LONDON. December 3. The “Daily Herald’s" diplomatic correspondent says: Russia has refused to enter into any of the major commitments proposed by Hitler in his talks with Molotov. The Soviet is not interested in any aggressive adventures in the Persian Gulf, or elsewhere. She considers the extension of her frontiers into Finland, Poland, and Rumania and the incorporation of the Baltic States are necessary for strategic reasons. Molotov told Hitler that Russia was not interested in spheres of influence, but was interested in spheres of security. Most important of all, Russia wished to prevent the extension of the war in the Balkans, particularly Turkey. Hitler is understood to have hinted that he would welcome a withdrawal or lessening of the Russian forces on the frontiers of German and German-occupied territories, but Molotov intimated that he was not prepared to discuss that.