“The first difficulty is this:  that we are not dealing with a single Russian peace delegation, but with various newly-formed Russian states, whose spheres of action are as yet by no means definitely fixed or explained among themselves.  We have to reckon with the following:  firstly, the Russia which is administered from St. Petersburg; secondly, our new neighbour proper, the great State of Ukraine; thirdly, Finland; and, fourthly, the Caucasus.

“With the first two of these states we are treating directly; that is to say, face to face; with the two others it was at first in a more or less indirect fashion, as they had not sent any representative to Brest-Litovsk.  We have then four Russian parties, and four separate Powers on our own side to meet them.  The case of the Caucasus, with which we ourselves have, of course, no direct questions to settle, but which, on the other hand, is in conflict with Turkey, will serve to show the extent of the matter to be debated.

“The point in which we ourselves are most directly interested is that of the great newly-established state upon our frontiers, Ukraine.  In the course of the proceedings we have already got well ahead with this delegation.  We are agreed upon the aforementioned basis of no indemnities and no annexations, and have in the main arrived at a settlement on the point that trade relations are to be re-established with the new republic, as also on the manner of so doing.  But this very case of the Ukraine illustrates one of the prevailing difficulties.  While the Ukraine Republic takes up the position of being entirely autonomous and justified in treating independently with ourselves, the Russian delegation insists that the boundaries between their territory and that of the Ukraine are not yet definitely fixed, and that Petersburg is therefore able to claim the right of taking part in our deliberations with the Ukraine, which claim is not admitted by the members of the Ukraine delegation themselves.  This unsettled state of affairs in the internal conditions of Russia, however, gave rise to very serious delays.  We have got over these difficulties, and I hope that in a few days’ time we shall be able once more to resume negotiations.

“As to the position to-day, I cannot say what this may be.  I received yesterday from my representative at Brest-Litovsk the following two telegrams: 

“’Herr Joffe has this evening, in his capacity as President of the Russian Delegation, issued a circular letter to the delegations of the four allied Powers in which he states that the Workers’ and Peasants’ Government of the Ukrainian Republic has decided to send two delegates to Brest-Litovsk with instructions to take part in the peace negotiations on behalf of the central committee of the workers’, soldiers’ and peasants’ councils of Pan-Ukraine, but also to form a supplementary part of the Russian delegation itself.  Herr Joffe adds with regard to this that the Russian delegation is prepared to