193. Letter From President Carter to Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev1
I was pleased to receive your letter of January 12.2 I was particularly gratified by your view—which I share—that the predominant trend in U.S.-Soviet relations is a constructive one, based on our jointly shared determination “to reduce the danger of war, to limit and subsequently reduce armaments, to prevent and eliminate dangerous hotbeds of international tensions.” Our personal dialogue is dedicated to these ends.
Let me add that I am also gratified by the progress that we made in 1977. Despite the complexities inherent in SALT, our delegations have moved forward—and Foreign Minister Gromyko’s visit to Washington was particularly helpful in overcoming some obstacles. We also initiated a wide range of additional negotiations, all of which have the pur [Page 808] pose of shaping a more stable and cooperative U.S.-Soviet relationship, an objective that I consider essential.
I hope, therefore, that we can move expeditiously toward a SALT II agreement. I have so instructed the U.S. delegation. At the same time, I am sure that Ambassador Dobrynin keeps you fully informed regarding the strong domestic opposition already generated by the concessions we have made. U.S. willingness to count heavy bombers with air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) within the 1320 total for both MIRVs and ALCMs and to limit cruise missiles has been perceived by many Americans as insufficiently offset by Soviet concessions, complicating the eventual process of ratification. This is why I hope that the Soviet side will adopt a very positive attitude regarding the outstanding issues, notably on the questions pertaining to MIRV sub-limits, modernization, and the Backfire bomber.
Agreement in SALT would doubtless help us both generate a wider movement in many of the other negotiations between our two governments.
[Omitted here is information unrelated to SALT II.]
Sincerely,
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Box 69, USSR: Brezhnev-Carter Correspondence: 1–12/78. No classification marking. The letter is scheduled to be printed in full in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, Vol. VI, Soviet Union.↩
- Brezhnev’s January 12 letter to Carter, which covered a number of issues, made only a few statements about SALT II: “There is mutual understanding between us as to the direction of a new agreement and its main components. Nevertheless, the preparation of the agreement has not yet been completed. In the course of subsequent negotiations we again showed readiness to seek mutually acceptable solutions to the outstanding questions. Unfortunately, in all candor, we do not see equivalent steps from the US side towards us.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Box 69, USSR: Brezhnev-Carter Correspondence: 1–12/78) Brezhnev’s letter is also scheduled to be printed in full in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, Vol. VI, Soviet Union.↩