V. I. Lenin

Resolution Of The Council Of People’s Commissars
On Negotiations With The Rada

Having heard the report of Comrade Proshyan, who, as a delegate
to the Peasants’ Congress, had a talk with Vinnichenko,
Grushevsky, Porsh and others, in their capacity of official
representatives of the Rada; and considering that these official representatives of the Rada
have expressed their readiness in principle to negotiate an
agreement with the Council of People’s Commissars on the
basis of recognition by the Council of People’s Commissars
of the independence of the peop!e’s Ukrainian republic, and
the Rada’s recognition of the counter-revolutionary nature
of Kaledin and his accomplices; considering further that the Council of People’s Commissars
has always unconditionally recognised the right of every nation,
including the Ukrainian, to exist as an independent state; that any attempt to avoid war with the Rada, provided the Rada
recognised Kaledin’s counter-revolutionary nature and did
not hamper the war against him, was undoubtedly desirable; expressing its conviction that only the Soviets of the Ukrainian
poor peasants, workers and soldiers could set up a power in the
Ukraine under which clashes between fraternal peoples would be
impossible, the Council of People’s Commissars, deeming it appropriate
at the same time to open effective negotiations with the Rada
with the aim of stopping the clashes caused by the Rada’s
policy in respect of the common front and Kaledin’s counterrevolutionary revolt, resolves:

to invite the Rada to negotiate an agreement on the above-mentioned principles and to designate the town of Smolensk
or Vitebsk as being probably the most convenient place for the
negotiations.