Office of the Historian

294. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between the Ambassador to the Soviet Union (Thompson) and Secretary of State Rusk1

November 29, 1968, 10:30 a.m.

I. Gromyko called me to the foreign office at 11:30 a.m. this morning and made following oral statements:

“Secretary of State Rusk in a conversation with USSR Ambassador in Washington, Dobrynin, on November 25 of this year2 touched on a number of questions which, in the opinion of President Johnson, could be discussed in the event of his meeting with Soviet leaders.

“In conformity with the desire expressed by Rusk to learn the opinion of the Soviet side with respect to these questions, we would like to report the following for transmission to President Johnson: [Page 743]

1.

We proceed from the fact that, concerning the limitation of the strategic arms race, there was agreement in the course of the preceding exchange of opinions between us, on a sufficient number of concrete propositions regarding common goals and basic principles for limiting and subsequently reducing strategic weapons, the approval of which would be completed by a discussion of this question at a possible meeting. As far as we understand, our detailed considerations on this subject, handed to the Secretary of State on October 2 of this year,3 were positively received on the American side. For our part we are ready as before to review the stated considerations as a basis for the achievement of an initial, principled agreement on this subject.

[Here follows discussion of the Middle East and Vietnam.]

In the event the American side has any other additional considerations which it would like to express in connection with the consideration of the question of the possible arranging of a meeting between President Johnson and the Soviet leaders, we are ready of course to hear them and to take such considerations into account before final decision on this question.”

II.

I said that you were sending me the exchange of correspondence on missile talks, but I had not yet received it. I asked if it was Soviet idea that at possible meeting an agreement on principles to guide missile talks would be reached and embodied in some sort of declaration or communiqué and that this would then be followed by detailed negotiations. He said that was his understanding.

[Here follows discussion of the Middle East.]

IV.
Dobrynin has not been able to reach Moscow because of bad weather here. I therefore told Gromyko for his background that I understood we were thinking of December 16 and 17 in Geneva. He said he was not in a position to comment.
V.
Indicating I was speaking without instructions I said that a two-day meeting would leave little time for any consultation by the principles with their government and that it seemed to me that the more advance preparation the better. He nodded, but did not comment.
VI.
You will note statement referred to Soviet leaders in the plural. I will try to find out from Dobrynin whom they have in mind.

  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Rostow Files, Kosygin. No classification marking. Ambassador Thompson was in Moscow; Secretary Rusk was in Washington. The time is apparently Washington time.↩
  2. At this meeting Secretary Rusk and Dobrynin explored a wide range of issues. Memoranda of their conversation are ibid., Country File, Europe and USSR, Dobrynin/Thompson Conversations, Box 227. Regarding the relationship between the issue of strategic missiles and a summit, “Ambassador Dobrynin remarked that he thought in regard to the ABM matter that this whole thing had been agreed in principle and there would be no need to redefine the question. The Secretary said that he agreed as far as the ABM was concerned, but he thought that what was involved was a judgment by both of them as to whether or not at this particular time a meeting would be useful.” (Ibid.) A memorandum of their conversation on the nonproliferation treaty is in Department of State, Central Files, DEF 18-6.↩
  3. Document 287.↩