ainian delegates intended to use us as a springboard
from which they themselves could spring upon the Bolsheviks. Their
idea was that we should acknowledge their independence, and then, with
this as a _fait accompli_, they could face the Bolsheviks and force
them to recognise their equal standing and treat with them on that
basis. Our line of policy, however, must be either to bring over the
Ukrainians to our peace basis, or else to drive a wedge between them
and the Petersburgers. As to their desire for independence, we
declared ourselves willing to recognise this, provided the Ukrainians
on their part would agree to the following three points: 1. The
negotiations to be concluded at Brest-Litovsk and not at Stockholm. 2.
Recognition of the former political frontier between Austria-Hungary
and Ukraine. 3. Non-interference of any one state in the internal
affairs of another. Characteristically enough, no answer has yet been
received to this proposal!

"_January 7, 1918._--This forenoon, all the Russians arrived, under
the leadership of Trotski. They at once sent a message asking to be
excused for not appearing at meals with the rest for the future. At
other times also we see nothing of them. The wind seems to be in a
very different quarter now from what it was. The German officer who
accompanied the Russian delegation from Dunaburg, Captain Baron
Lamezan, gave us some interesting details as to this. In the first
place, he declared that the trenches in front of Dunaburg are entirely
deserted, and save for an outpost or so there were no Russians there
at all; also, that at many stations delegates were waiting for the
deputation to pass, in order to demand that peace should be made.
Trotski had throughout answered them with polite and careful
speeches, but grew ever more and more depressed. Baron Lamezan had the
impression that the Russians were altogether desperate now, having no
choice save between going back with a bad peace or with no peace at
all; in either case with the same result: that they would be swept
away. Kuehlmann said: 'Ils n'ont que le choix a quelle sauce ils se
feront manger.' I answered: 'Tout comme chez nous.'

"A wire has just come in reporting demonstrations in Budapest against
Germany. The windows of the German Consulate were broken, a clear
indication of the state of feeling which would arise if the peace were
to be lost through our demands.

"_January 8, 1918._--The Turkish Grand Vizier, Talaat