Post-Moscow Summit Discussions and Issues, June–August 1972


1. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 12. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the White House Map Room.


2. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 12. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. A handwritten notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “HAK has seen.”


3. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Telephone Conversations (Telcons), Box 14, Chronological File. No classification marking. Blank underscores are omissions in the original


4. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 12. Top Secret. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates the President saw it. A handwritten notation reads: “Delivered to Gen. Haig by Mr. Sokolov at 9:30 a.m. on 6/22/72.” In message Tohak 15, June 22, Haig forwarded to Kissinger in Beijing a copy of the letter and wrote: “As you will note it is a general smorgasbord without any specific indications of real progress, other than an obvious reference to the fact that Hanoi is willing to enter into give-and-take secret negotiations during which our positions would be carefully considered.” (Ibid., Box 993, Alexander M. Haig Chronological File)


5. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Telephone Conversations (Telcons), Box 14, Chronological File. No classification marking. Brackets are in the original. Blank underscores are omissions in the original.


6. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 12. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Brackets are in the original. The meeting took place at the Soviet Embassy.


8. Memorandum for the President’s File by the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 12. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the President’s office at the Western White House. Nixon was in San Clemente from July 1 to July 18. Dobrynin was on a business trip to the Soviet Consulate in San Francisco when Nixon invited him to spend a few days in San Clemente.


9. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Executive Director of the Council for International Economic Policy (Flanigan) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–235, Policy Papers, NSDM 179. Secret; Exdis. Sent for action. Sonnenfeldt forwarded the memorandum to Kissinger under a covering July 15 memorandum with the recommendation that he sign it. According to an attached routing memorandum, it was sent to the President for decision on July 17.


10. Letter From President Nixon to Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 12. Top Secret. A handwritten note at the top of the letter reads: “Delivered by hand to Sov. Embassy 1:45 pm, July 19, 1972.” Haig, who drafted the letter, wrote in a July 13 note to Kissinger: “Henry: I have included the items you asked for in a new redraft: (a) moved the European issues to the smorgasbord portion at the beginning of the letter, (b) made special reference to your Moscow visit and included reference to the Middle East and the nuclear field in conjunction with that visit, and (c) made special reference to Dobrynin’s discussion with the President and the special channel.” (Ibid.)


11. National Security Decision Memorandum 179

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–235, NSDM 179. Secret; Exdis. Copies were sent to the Secretary of Defense, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Attorney General, and the Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs.


12. Memorandum From A. Denis Clift and John Lehman of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 720, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Vol. XXIII. Confidential. Sent for action.


13. National Security Decision Memorandum 180 Council on International Economic Policy Decision Memorandum 9

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–235, NSDMs 151–200, Originals. Secret. Copies were sent to the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce. On July 21, a copy of the NSDM was forwarded to Moscow for Peterson in telegram 131920/Topet 17. (Ibid., Box 953, VIP Visits, Pete Peterson’s Moscow Visit (Commerce), 17 Jul–3 Aug 72 [2 of 2]) Peterson visited Moscow from July 20 to August 1 for the first meeting of the U.S.-USSR Joint Commercial Commission.


14. National Security Decision Memorandum 181
Council on International Economic Policy Decision Memorandum 10

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–235, NSDMs 151–200, Originals. Secret. Copies were sent to the Secretaries of State and Treasury. On July 21, a copy of the NSDM was forwarded to Moscow for Peterson in telegram 131924/Topet 18. (Ibid., Box 953, VIP Visits, Pete Peterson’s Moscow Visit (Commerce), 17 Jul–3 Aug 72 [2 of 2])


15. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 12. Top Secret. A handwritten notation at the top of the first page of the letter reads: “Handed to K by D, 12:00 pm, July 21, 1972.”


16. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 12. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the White House Map Room.


17. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 13. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the White House Map Room.


18. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 953, VIP Visits, Pete Peterson’s Moscow Visit (Commerce), 17 Jul–3 Aug 72 [1 of 2]. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Sent for action.


19. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 953, VIP Visits, Pete Peterson’s Moscow Visit (Commerce), 17 Jul–3 Aug 72 [2 of 2]. Top Secret. Sent for action.


20. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 953, VIP Visits, Pete Peterson’s Moscow Visit (Commerce), 17 Jul–3 Aug 72 [2 of 2]. Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Sent for action. Haig did not initial the memorandum.


21. Notes of Conversation Between Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev and Secretary of Commerce Peterson

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 953, VIP Visits, Pete Peterson’s Moscow Visit (Commerce), 17 Jul–3 Aug 72 [1 of 2]. Secret; Nodis. The notes were sent from Peterson to Nixon under an August 8 covering memorandum. (Ibid.)


23. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 13. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The luncheon meeting took place at the Soviet Embassy.


24. Memorandum for the President’s File by the Executive Director of the Council for International Economic Policy (Flanigan)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, President’s Office Files, Box 89, Memoranda for the President, Beginning August 6, 1972. No classification marking.


25. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 13. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place at the Soviet Embassy. At the meeting, Kissinger handed Dobrynin a draft announcement of Kissinger’s upcoming trip to Moscow from September 10 to 13. (Ibid.)


26. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 13. Top Secret. A handwritten notation at the top of the letter reads: “Handed to General Haig by Amb. Dobrynin at 12:30 pm on 8/17/72.” The text of the letter was forwarded to Kissinger in Saigon on August 17 in message Tohak 72. (Ibid.) Kissinger was on a secret trip to Paris, Switzerland, Saigon, and Tokyo. He visited Saigon from August 17 to 19.


27. Backchannel Message From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) in Saigon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 23, HAK Trip Files, HAK’s Secret Paris Trip, Switzerland, Saigon, Tokyo, August 13–19, 1972, To/Frm 86971 & Backchannels. Secret; Eyes Only; Flash. A stamped notation on the message indicates it was received in the White House Situation Room at 8:23 p.m. on August 17.


28. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) and Secretary of State Rogers

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 998, Alexander M. Haig Chronological Files, HaigTelcons, 1972 [1 of 2]. No classification marking. In message Tohak 78, August 18, Haig informed Kissinger that he had carried out the instructions regarding Rogers’ proposed meeting with Dobrynin over the exit fee issue. Haig wrote that “I have brutalized Rogers after clearing it with the President, and there will be no contacts whatsoever with the Soviets.” He continued: “The meeting with Rogers and the Jewish leaders will proceed without press in the most low-keyed way this afternoon. I have talked to Rogers about it personally, and he understands and will comply. There will be no public statement by the White House or State. Ron [Ziegler] will defer to State.” (Ibid., Kissinger Office Files, Box 23, HAK Trip Files, HAK’s Secret Paris Trip, Switzerland, Saigon, Tokyo, August 13–19, 1972, To/Frm 86971 & Backchannels)


29. Memorandum From Secretary of Commerce Peterson to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Executive Director of the Council for International Economic Policy (Flanigan)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 67, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Map Room, Aug. 1972–May 31, 1973 [3 of 3]. Secret.


30. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 67, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Map Room, Aug. 1972–May 31, 1973 [3 of 3]. Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Kissinger wrote several notes on the memorandum: “Opening of Consulate;” “Exchange of information when Gromyko is here;” “David Rockefeller;” “26th Representation;” “Gas Committee;” “Middle Ground;” “Grechko;” “Troop withdrawals;” “With Thieu or without Thieu keep framework;” and “Ivanov—reduce sentence.”