89. Message From Chairmen Khrushchev and Brezhnev to President Kennedy 0

Dear Mr. President: On the eve of the new year we extend to the American people and also to you and your family New Year’s congratulations and very best wishes from the Soviet people and from us personally. The year of 1962 now passing into history witnessed events, the fatal development of which it was possible to avert thanks to the fact that the (two) sides showed a sensible approach and reached a compromise. Now the peoples of the whole world expect from us energetic efforts aimed at the solution of urgent problems fraught with the threat of the rise of new crises in order to assure reliable conditions for peaceful life and constructive labor on the earth. There is no doubt that the people of the United States are no less interested in this than are the Soviet people. May the new year be a year of a turn for the better in relations between [Page 243] our countries, a year of joint efforts for a decisive improvement of the international situation in the interest of all humanity.

  • N. Khrushchev
  • L. Brezhnev 1
  1. Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. No classification marking. A note on the source text indicates it is an unofficial translation by Henry and Ramsey of SOV. Another copy is in the Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, USSR, Khrushchev Correspondence.
  2. Printed from a copy that bears these typed signatures.