AR Moscow This telegrarm must be closely paraphrased be- Dated December 20, 1941 fore being communicated to anyone. (SC) Rec'd 4:45 a.m; 21st Secretary of State, Washington, TRIPLE PRIORITY 12, December 20, 9 p.m. (SECTION ONE) My 10, December 19, 6 p.m. Eden confirmed the statements made to me yesterday by Molotov and expressed the fear that Soviet insistence that a commitment be entered into at this time recognizing the Soviet frontiers of 1941 may make it impossible for him to reach an understanding with respect to post war, i.e., construction. In this connection he stated that the Soviet demands not only embrace the Baltic states and Bessarabia but also seem to imply some expansion to the west, presumably by advancing the Lithuanian borders into East Prussia. It also appears to be desired by the Soviets that in addition to the reestablishment of the Finnish frontier certain additional naval and air bases in Finland must be obtained. Eden said that he had based his opposition to the Soviet desire for an |