The telephone rang. Phillip Stuyvesant picked it up. He listened and made a few affirmative grunts before putting it down. “OK, we’ve got your tickets on tomorrow’s flight to the Azores and Casablanca fixed up. Henry and Achillea will pick you up at six. Enjoy.”
Igrat gave him a brittle grin and left. Getting up at 4am was a real hardship. Still, there was a war on.
Top Floor, Bank de Commerce et Industrie, Geneva, Switzerland.
“Iggie, Achillea and Henry are coming over early to pick up the latest package. They’ll be here mid-day tomorrow and be going straight back.” Branwen glanced at her pad. “And the representatives from Sweden and Russia are here. I’ve got them in separate waiting rooms of course.”
Loki nodded. The last thing he needed was Alexandra Kollontai and Tage Erlander at each other’s throats before he could get in and separate them. It wasn’t that Sweden and Russia had major issues in this war. They didn’t; quite the reverse if anything. It was just that the old-time radical Bolshevik and the studious, formal Swede were an explosive mix. Quietly, Loki wondered how many wars could have been avoided if the nations involved made sure their respective ambassadors actually liked each other. All too many was his calculated guess.
“Good afternoon, Madam Kollontai.” Loki rose to his feet as the Russian woman entered his office; an act that caused her mouth to purse in disapproval. “Welcome to Geneva. Mr Erlander will be joining us any moment. Did you have a good trip here?”
“Comfortable, thank you.” Kollontai took her seat in front of Loki’s desk. “The Constellation is a good way to travel.”
“So I am told, although I haven’t had the opportunity to fly on one yet. Ahh, here we are. Welcome to Geneva, Tage. Please take a seat. Madam Kollontai, I understand you have a message from the Russian Government?”
“Indeed I have. I have been asked to tell you that the Russian Government has been gravely disappointed by the Finnish decision to resume active hostilities against us. Nevertheless, despite their treachery, we are prepared to offer peace terms even now. We will grant an armistice to Finland and cease operations against the country provided the following conditions are met. In order to avoid further threats from Finland, the following adjustments to the Finno-Russian frontier will be made. In the North, the border between Russia and Norway will be defined as the Tana River. This will transfer significant portions of the Finnmark presently in Norway to Russian hands. To compensate Norway for this loss, the area of the Finnmark, centered around Lake Inari and presently in Finnish hands will be divided between Russia and Norway. The dividing line will, again, be the Tana River.
“The long westward pointing finger of land separating Sweden from Norway, centered on Enontekio will be handed over to Sweden. These adjustments will simplify the borders in the area and remove any threat to Murmansk. The Finnish Government will be permitted to remove any of its citizens who do not wish to transfer their allegiance to the new rulers of the area in which they formerly lived.
“In the South, the province of Ita-Suomi and the eastern half of Etela Suomi, the dividing line being drawn from Kotka by way of Kuovola to Lake Vuohijarvi, will be surrendered to Russia. The Russian Government will no longer tolerate the threat to Petrograd that has twice this decade resulted in war. Finland will also disarm all German troops and military forces in its remaining territory and surrender them to Russian control. Finland will pay war reparations to Russia in the amount of 600 million U.S. dollars. The whole amount is to be delivered within five years.”
There was a profound silence in Loki’s office. The terms Russia was offering were savage; Finland would be losing almost a third of its territory. Madame Alexandra Kollontai looked apologetic. She was actually sympathetic to the plight of Finland but her position as an emissary in these ‘talks-that-were-not-happening’ did not allow her to say so. Loki and Erlander knew that, to some extent, the very fact that these unofficial meetings were taking place at all was due to a moderate influence on Russian government policy. If Zhukov and Vatutin had their way, they would deliver their terms with a tank army driving through Helsinki.
“Is there anything else?” Erlander’s voice was mild, devoid of any hint of sarcasm.
“Yes. The Aland Islands are presently held jointly by Sweden and Finland. Russia will take over Finland’s position there. However, all we are interested in is maintaining a naval base on those islands. If that is provided, as far as we are concerned Sweden may administer the Islands as if they were wholly Swedish and issue the inhabitants Swedish passports. Also, Finland will not be permitted to maintain armed forces. The country may have an armed police force, without armored vehicles or aircraft, and may have a coastguard but that is all.”
Erlander shook his head. “I will carry these terms to the Finnish Parliament and ask Risto Heikki Ryti to present them but he will not do so. He is convinced that Germany will be victorious. I am sorry Madam, but this bird will not fly.” The Americanism did not go unnoticed.
“I can sound out the Americans. Perhaps they may intervene on Finland’s behalf. Perhaps they can secure a moderation of these terms.” Loki did not sound hopeful and in truth he thought that any attempt to do so would be doomed to failure.
“There is no cause for leniency. Finland has brought this disaster on itself. You know the price they were offered for their participation in this attack? The whole of the Kola Peninsula, including Petrograd. I ask you, Herr Erlander, with such an addition to Finnish strength, how long will it be before Sweden falls victim to Finnish aggression? Months? A year or two at most? Yet we restrain our demands to the territory needed to secure our borders and guarantee the safety of our cities. And we are treating generously with Sweden, out of respect for your role as intermediaries, despite the fact that many Swedes serve with the SS against our troops.”
Erlander looked saddened. “I cannot deny that. I can say that the Swedish Government recognizes both the generous nature of the Russian approaches and its forbearance of the asinine stupidity of some of our citizens. Citizens who will be punished, that I can assure you.”
“And I can also assure you of that.” Kollontai’s expression was deadly serious.
“So we are agreed then. Mr. Erlander will take these proposals to Finland and ask for them to be submitted to the Finnish Parliament while I will approach my contacts with the American Government to see if some grounds for flexibility can be located.” Loki looked at his two guests and a series of nods were attained. Then he reached out for the intercom on his desk. “Branwen, some refreshments please?”
A second later, Branwen pushed the doors open with her hip and wheeled in a trolley loaded with bread, beer, vodka and cold meat. “I am sorry, but the meats are Italian. No smoked fish, I tried but, without access to the Baltic….”
“Never mind Branwen, this looks delicious.” Erlander cast his eyes over the tray. “Madame, I hope the vodka is to your taste?”
Branwen left. The three loaded their plates with the food she had brought. Once they had regained their seats, they looked at each other. The bristling near-hostility of the official exchanges had gone. Erlander leaned back and spoke slowly. “Honestly Loki, will the Americans use any influence here?”
Loki thought carefully and shook his head. “Not a chance. Not after this attack, no. The Finns had a good deal going for them. They stay put, keep quiet and don’t cause any trouble. In exchange, the allies don’t start hammering on them and, when the war is over, they get 1940 boundaries and no reparations. Now, they’ve reneged on that, the Americans will wash their hands of them. The generosity to Sweden is well-thought out as well. There are many more Swedish voters in America than Finns. No, the Americans will not intervene. Aleksa, how open are the Russian Government to negotiations on this?”