247. Letter From Chairman Kosygin to President Johnson1

Dear Mr. President:

We have in mind your messages of January 222 and May 23 of this year in which you spoke out in favor of reaching an understanding on questions concerning restraint in the strategic arms race.

As we informed you earlier we for our part also attach great importance to these questions, having in mind that they should be considered together, systems for delivery of offensive strategic nuclear weapons as well as systems for defense against ballistic missiles.

All aspects of this complex problem are now being carefully examined by us, and we hope that before long it will be possible more concretely to exchange views with regard to further ways of discussing this problem, if of course the general world situation does not hinder this.

Sincerely,

A. Kosygin 4
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Intelligence File, Arms Control Messages Exchanged Between President Johnson and Chairman, USSR, Vol. I, Box 11. The date is the day the letter was received.
  2. Not printed. (Ibid., Vol. II, Box 11)
  3. See Document 237.
  4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.