Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XII, Soviet Union, January 1969–October 1970

6. National Security Study Memorandum 10¹

Washington, January 27, 1969.

TO

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Director of Central Intelligence

SUBJECT

• East-West Relations

The President has directed that a study be prepared on the nature of US-Soviet relations, on US interests and objectives with respect to them and on the broad lines of appropriate US policies. The study should incorporate alternative views and interpretations of the issues involved. It should include summary statements of the conceptions and policy lines of the previous administration.

The study should include the following:

1. a characterization of US-Soviet relations in their broadest sense;

2. a discussion of Soviet perceptions of these relations and of Soviet interests and objectives as we understand them, including such indications as there are of differences, vacillations and uncertainties among Soviet decision-makers;

3. a discussion of US interests and objectives, short, medium and longer term;

4. a brief description of the broad lines of policy that we have hitherto pursued;

5. a recommended US approach to East-West relations.

The President has directed that the NSC Interdepartmental Group for Europe perform this study.

The paper should be forwarded to the NSC Review Group by February 6, 1969.²

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 316, NSSM Studies, March 1969–June 1970. Confidential. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
2. The paper on “East-West Relations” is printed as Document 18 but was never discussed. A handwritten note on this NSSM reads: “Result: Overtaken by specific policy decisions.”