European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday August 30, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 13 crisis in the Kremli soviets to meet on nuclear arms by Patrick e. Tyler the new York times As Western officials expressed some Quot concerns Over the Long term stability of the soviet nuclear Arsenal Boris n. Yeltsin president of the russian Federated Republic said wednesday that he and president Mikhail s. Gorbachev would Convene a meeting of National Security officials and the leaders of the soviet republics to discuss future National controls Over nuclear weapons. Yeltsin said the declaration last weekend by the Ukraine to secede from the soviet Union and declare its territory a nuclear free zone would prompt the Transfer of nuclear weapons stored there to the russian Republic where they would remain under strict Central authority. At the United nations the ukrainian representative Gennadi i. Udovenko affirmed the republics longstanding intention to pursue a non nuclear policy on its territory and Transfer weapons currently stored there a to the Central  Yeltsin a remarks in Moscow and Udo Venkov a statement at the United nations went a Long Way toward quelling concerns that the Ukraine a leadership had become so mistrustful of soviet Central authority that it might seek Independent control Over nuclear weapons on its Terri tory and thereby set an example for. The other 14 republics in the soviet Union. Thus far none of the republics asserting Independence has claimed Dominion Over nuclear weapons. Soviet officials have pointed out that 85 percent of the soviet unions 27,000 nuclear weapons Are within the boundaries of the russian Republic but important strategic bomber bases As Well As silos and Mobile launchers for hundreds of intercontinental ballistic missiles Are in the Ukraine byelorussian and Kazakhstan. Byelorussian like the Ukraine has declared its Independence and Kazakhstan has said it is preparing a similar declaration. The soviet leadership had already moved to withdraw Many of the nations a nuclear submarine base silo based 1cbm base nuclear weapon bases in the soviet Union the rapid disintegration of the soviet Central government since the coup collapsed has raised questions about who controls the estimated 27,000 soviet nuclear weapons. More than one third of the missiles Are targeted at the United states. Tajikistan source soviet military Power 1990 \ part of the russian Republica 1 Short Range Battlefield nuclear weapons from the Baltic republics and trans caucasian republics beset by ethnic violence. Wednesdays assurances in Moscow and new York were Given amid an intensifying debate among american experts on the Security of soviet nuclear weapons and similar concerns were voiced in Europe on wednesday. President Francois Mitterrand of France told his Cabinet he was concerned about a a nuclear reordering because of the Independence drive of Many soviet republics. A will every Republic have at its disposal a Little atomic bomb some of these equivalent to one or two Hiroshima a the government spokesman Jack Lang asked after the Cabinet meeting. Many experts on soviet nuclear forces continue to regard the possibility of renegade nuclear forces in the soviet Union As Remote. A i done to think we should Over dramatize this a said Raymond l. Sartoff a soviet specialist at the Brookings institution. A but just As in the past we have been concerned about deliberate and accidental nuclear War we should be properly concerned about the present circumstance. The probability May not be High but this is a new kind of danger and one we should think about and keep our Eye  Gorbachev and Yeltsin appear to be Allied in a struggle to prevent the secessionist movements from stripping Central soviet authority Over military and nuclear forces. Maintaining such authority will not Only enhance the safety of nuclear weapons and the Central government s ability to negotiate arms control agreements but will also preserve the soviet unions status As a military superpower . And soviet officials say. Yeltsin told a meeting of russian emigres on wednesday that after last weeks attempted coup he and Gorbachev had discussed the Issue of nuclear command and had agreed it was necessary to Convene a High level conference of National Security officials to discuss the Issue. In addition Yeltsin said a in View of the fact that the Ukraine has declared itself a nuclear free Republic its nuclear weapons will be moved to the russian federation Quot according to the pass news Agency. Some experts in Washington saw Yeltsin a Quick move As one intended to take advantage of the Ukraine s non nuclear preference a while the sentiment is still operative a said Edward l. Warner Iii a soviet specialist at the Rami corp. Jack Mendelsohn of the Independent arms control association added a there Are two key trends up to now none of the fragmenting republics has expressed any great nuclear desire and the Center has made it Clear that it does not want to share this responsibility. Those Are two consoling  Mendelsohn said scenarios now being drawn that postulate the seizure of nuclear weapons by one ethnic group seeking to extinguish another were a totally  a this is not something i sit up at night worrying about a he  party reeling in Wake of failed coup by Clinton of Brien Moscow apr Ilya Reznikov the student Council president at a Moscow University made a painful discovery last week when he joined those protesting the hard line communist coup at the russian parliament. A my conscience and beliefs were on one Side of the barricades but my party membership card was on the other Side a said Reznikov 23, a four year member of the communist party. On thursday Reznikov quit the party. A i decided its better to keep my conscience than my party  Reznikov was not alone. Classmates and professors at russian state University for the humanities also began quitting the party in droves last week. On thursday fifteen professors dropped resignation forms in a Box on the desk opt he colleges inhouse party official. Others said they planned to resign this week. A after what a happened almost nobody will stay in the party a said Alexander Sokolov a history professor and assistant director who plans to quit. A Gorbachev thinks the party can be reformed but i  about 1,300 of the University a 1,800 students Are either members of the Komsomol communist youth organization or full party members said  what s happened almost nobody will stay in the party. Almost nobody believes in communism anymore a Alexander Sokolov soviet history professor he predicted at least half will quit. Nationwide the communist party is thought to have at least 15 million members. Estimates vary but at least 2 million have quit in the last year. Sokolov said most people join the party to Advance their careers. Virtually All of the professors at the University Are registered communists. But most also took part in anti coup protests. A most of them never even read the works of Marx and Lenin. Almost nobody believes in communism anymore a he said. The University a director is historian Yuri Afanasyeva a Well known reformer and Leader of the democratic Russia political movement. Sokolov said the coup was merely the final blow to his already shaken allegiance to the communist party. A it was a real Shock a he said. A since then Peoples psychology has changed fantastically  Sokolov accused party leaders of cowardice for not opposing the coup until late wednesday after it was obvious the Putsch was collapsing. A there is no Point in waiting for the party to change a he said. A the problem is that the leaders do whatever they want. They Are not accountable to rank and file  re Nikov said he previously had disagreed with some party actions and never Felt ashamed. A i did no to feel any dirt on my conscience because i never took part in the parly a repressive organs like its official newspapers Quot he said. A then came August 1�?~lth. I Felt like one of the criminals. I realized that the coup would not have happened if not for the  another student 26-year-old Sergei Lyubi Matsev said joining the party traditionally has been a the Only Way to take part in the country a political life to do anything  but he said the party a support for a would be dictatorship has changed All that. A people Are tired of having other people decide their Fate a said Lyubi Matsev