ABSTRACT
On Molotov's return to Moscow the public boosting of the negotiations was continued. On the first day of March Molotov told him that he was greatly preoccupied with Hitler's intention of crossing Bulgaria to begin operations against Greece. He seemed much disturbed by the fact that Germany had taken decisions which were contrary to the conceptions of the Soviet Government and Stalin as to the security of the USSR. Stalin himself traced the broad outlines of a possible manœuvre. The departure of the three Agrarian ministers from the Serb Government produce a political crisis in Belgrade, so that those who were in favour of resistance to Germany would be able to bring off a veritable coup d'état. Stalin was not interested in protecting the national interests of Yugoslavia; but a war in the Balkans delay the outbreak of the Russo-German War and enables him to gain a little more time.
