Summit Preparations; Jackson–Vanik Amendment; Non-Use of Nuclear Weapons, December 1972–April 1973
70. 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 1973 [1 of 3]. Confidential; Sensitive; Eyes Only. A handwritten note at the top of the memorandum reads: “Map Room, Breakfast, Dec. 16, 1972, 8:30 a.m.” According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, he met with Dobrynin in the Map Room from 8:42 to 9:50 a.m. on December 16. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1967–76) No other record of Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin has been found.
71. Letter From President Nixon to Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 14. Top Secret. A handwritten notation at the top of an attached note from Kissinger to Dobrynin reads: “Hand-delivered to the Embassy at 5:40 p.m., 12/18/72.” Kissinger also attached to the letter a copy of a message delivered to the North Vietnamese in Paris the same morning. The message reiterated the importance of a speedy peace agreement.
72. 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, [1 of 3]. Secret; Eyes Only. Sent for action. At the top of the memorandum, Kissinger wrote and underscored: “(1) Hillenbrand—Bonn—Falin” and “(2) Helsinki—U.S. Force MBFR relationship.” Above the first paragraph of the memorandum, he wrote, “Preliminary substance.”
73. Memorandum From the Director of Central Intelligence (Helms) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
[Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 80–M01048A, Box 8, Tensions in the USSR. Sensitive; Secret; Eyes Only. 2 pages not declassified.]
75. Message From the Soviet Leadership to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 15. Top Secret. A handwritten notation at the top of the page reads: “Handed to HAK by Dobrynin 1/28/73.”
77. Note 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 [1 of 3]. Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.
78. 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. 15. Top Secret. A handwritten notation at the top of the letter reads: “Delivered by Vorontsov at 1:50 pm, Feb. 22, 1973.” On March 7, Kissinger forwarded the letter to Nixon. In a covering memorandum he wrote that Brezhnev “is obviously extremely eager for an early Summit. All prior conditions have now been dropped and his mention of slipping from May to June is a smokescreen to cover the fact that they are now pushing for June instead of November.” Kissinger wrote that with regard to Brezhnev’s proposed topics for the summit: “To lay the groundwork in all these areas will require an immense amount of preparatory work. It is obvious that Mr. Brezhnev is most anxious to point to concrete results from the summit.”
79. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 15. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the Military Aide’s office in the White House. The memorandum is attached at Tab A to a memorandum from Kissinger to Nixon, undated, summarizing his conversations with Dobrynin on March 6 and 8.
80. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the President’s File
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 15. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Brackets are in the original.
81. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 15. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The conversation took place in the Map Room. The memorandum is attached at Tab B to a memorandum from Kissinger to Nixon, undated, summarizing his conversations with Dobrynin on March 6 and 8.
82. 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 [1 of 3]. Secret; Exclusively Eyes Only.
83. National Security Study Memorandum 176
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–207, NSSM 151–NSSM 200. Secret. Copies were sent to the Director of Central Intelligence and the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
84. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 15. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Brackets are in the original. The meeting took place in Brezhnev’s office at the Kremlin. Shultz was in Moscow to brief the Soviets on the trade bill. On March 23, Sonnenfeldt forwarded the memorandum of conversation to Kissinger under a covering memorandum, which Kissinger initialed.
85. Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation No. 881–2. No classification marking. The editor transcribed the portion of the conversation printed here specifically for this volume.
87. Message From the Soviet Leadership to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 496, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 16. Top Secret. Kissinger forwarded the message to Nixon as an attachment to a summary memorandum, April 17. Kissinger wrote that the note came “in response to our representations regarding weapons deliveries in Vietnam” (see Document 81). Dobrynin had delivered the message to Scowcroft on March 23. That day, Scowcroft forwarded it to Kissinger, who was in Mexico, in message Tohak 93, with the question: “Do you wish the message to be given to the President?” (Ibid.)
88. 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, Box 953, VIP Visits, George P. Shultz (Europe & USSR), Mar. 8–22, 1973. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.
89. Message From the Soviet Leadership to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 15. Top Secret. A handwritten notation at the top of the page reads: “Handed by D to K, 10:30 am, 3/30/73.” According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, he met with Dobrynin from 10:30 to 11:10 a.m. on March 30. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1967–76) In a note to Kissinger, April 5, Sonnenfeldt wrote: “This statement goes a long way toward giving assurances that the education tax provisions of the decree of August 3, 1972, have been set aside and will remain so. The reference to a decision by the Council of Ministers gives this assurance additional weight.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 67, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Map Room, Aug. 1972–May 31, 1973 [1 of 3])
90. 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, Box 721, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Vol. XXVIII. Confidential. Sent for immediate action.
91. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 721, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Vol. XXVIII. Confidential. A copy was sent to the Executive Director, CIEP.
92. Memorandum From A. Denis Clift of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 939, VIP Visits, Brezhnev’s U.S. Visit [3 of 4]. Confidential. Sent for information.
93. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Under Secretaries Committee (Rush) to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–198, NSSM 176 [1 of 2]. Secret.
94. Meeting Between President Nixon and the Bipartisan Congressional Leadership
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Cabinet Room, Conversation No. 122–1. No classification marking. The editor transcribed the portion of the conversation printed here specifically for this volume. This conversation took place sometime between 8:37 a.m. and 10:19 a.m. A list of attendees is in the President’s Daily Diary. (Ibid., White House Central Files)
95. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 496, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 16. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the Map Room at the White House. Sonnenfeldt sent Kissinger an April 9 briefing memorandum prior to the meeting with Dobrynin. (Ibid., Kissinger Office Files, Box 67, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Map Room, Aug. 1972–May 31, 1973 [1 of 3])
96. 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, Box 496, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 16. Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Urgent; sent for information.
97. Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation No. 38–11. No classification marking. The editor transcribed the portion of the conversation printed here specifically for this volume. This is part of a conversation that took place from 6 to 6:07 p.m.
98. Message From the U.S. Leadership to the Soviet Leadership
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 496, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 16. Top Secret. A handwritten notation at the top of the note reads, “Delivered to the Soviet Embassy, 6:30 pm, Tuesday, April 17, 1973.” In a telephone conversation with Kissinger on April 14, Dobrynin said that “there is the question of Most Favored Nation—Brezhnev understands it has some kind of problems and he asks what the President is doing.” Dobrynin said: “What he is asking now—he is asking to you and the President if you could give him his ideas or his thoughts on this question—what does he think about the timing of all this [sic] things to happen.” He also asked on behalf of Brezhnev “what kind of agreements does the President think can be done during Brezhnev’s visit in the economic fields.” Kissinger agreed to provide a response to Brezhnev’s questions. (Ibid., Kissinger Telephone Conversations (Telcons), Box 19, Chronological File)