Message to W. Churchill (Correspondence Vol. 1, No. 174)

I have received your
message on the negotiations with the Italians and on the new armistice terms for Italy. Thank you for the information.
Mr Eden informed Sobolev that Moscow had been kept fully informed of the negotiations with Italy. I must say, however, that Mr Eden's statement is at variance with the facts, for I received your message with large omissions and without the closing paragraphs. It should be said,
therefore, that the Soviet Government has not been kept informed of the Anglo-American negotiations with the Italians. Mr Kerr assures me that he will shortly receive the full text of your message, but three days have passed and Ambassador Kerr has yet to give it to me. I cannot understand how this delay could have come about in transmitting information on so important a matter.
2. I think the time is ripe for us to set up a military-political commission of representatives of the three countries - the U.S.A., Great Britain and the U.S.S.R. - for consideration of problems related to negotiations with various Governments falling away from Germany. To date it has been like this: the U.S.A. and Britain reach agreement between themselves while the U.S.S.R. is informed of the agreement between the two powers as a third party looking passively on. I must say that this situation cannot be tolerated any longer. I propose setting up the commission and making Sicily its seat for the time being. 3. I am looking forward to receiving the full text of your message on the negotiations with Italy.

August 22, 1943