Moscow answered this proposition with the assertions that this would be a provocation that no preparatory defensive work should be undertaken at the borders and that the Germans were not to be given any pretext for the initiation of military action against us Thus our borders were insufficiently prepared to repel the enemy

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Moscow answered this proposition with the assertions that this would be a provocation, that no preparatory defensive work should be undertaken at the borders, and that the Germans were not to be given any pretext for the initiation of military action against us. Thus our borders were insufficiently prepared to repel the enemy.