Council of Foreign Ministers Files: Lot M–88: CFM London Documents
Memorandum by the Soviet Delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers
The Situation in Greece
Reports received from Greece show that the internal political situation in that country continues to remain extremely tense and fraught with grave consequences both for the Greek people and for the peace and security of the countries which are Greece’s neighbours.
Under the conditions at present prevailing in Greece free democratic elections are impossible. As regards the proposed despatch to Greece of observers of the Allied Powers to supervise the course of the forthcoming elections, obviously, under present conditions in Greece, the observers will not be able to ensure free expression of the popular will at the elections but will merely serve to obscure the abnormal situation created by the present Greek Government’s violation of the Varkisa Agreement of 12th February, 1945, concluded between the Greek Government and representatives of democratic trends of opinion in Greece.82
The Soviet Government accordingly consider themselves compelled to declare that they cannot accept any moral responsibility whatsoever for the political situation that has arisen in Greece. In the opinion of the Soviet Government this situation can be met by the immediate adoption of such measures with regard to the composition of the Greek Government as will assure the fulfilment of the Agreement concluded at Varkisa between the representatives of the then Greek Government and representatives of Greek democracy.
- For text of the Agreement between the Greek Government and the Greek National Liberation Front, signed at Varkisa, February 12, 1945, see vol. viii , section under Greece entitled “Decision by the United States to participate, with other Yalta Powers and France, in the supervision of elections in Greece …”↩