252. Editorial Note
On June 8, 1971, Assistant to the President Kissinger and Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin left Washington at 6:20 p.m. for an overnight stay at Camp David to review the international situation. (Record of Schedule; Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) According to the memorandum of conversation, the two men had the following exchange on the Berlin negotiations during a 3-hour dinner that evening:
“Dobrynin said that his impression was that matters were going forward well. There was, however, the fact that Rush, at the end of the last private meeting, had said that he had not studied the problem of Soviet presence in West Berlin, while Dobrynin had reported that we would be prepared to concede a trade mission. This was true. I [Kissinger] had been told this by Rush. I told Dobrynin that I would have to check into it since Rush was coming home for consultations. Dobrynin also made some comments about our alleged recalcitrance [Page 736] on the issue of Federal presence in West Berlin. But, on the whole, he thought matters were on the right track.”
The Berlin question then arose during a discussion of the proposed summit meeting:
“Dobrynin said he thought on the whole it would be better to have the Summit after the Berlin negotiations were concluded. I said they were far enough down the road, and we could not have them used as a blackmail. In any event, we would be unable to meet in September if we could not decide it by the end of June.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 6 [Part 2])
In a memorandum to the President, June 15, Kissinger also noted: “We agreed that, on the whole, matters were going forward well. I agreed on our consenting to a Soviet trade mission in West Berlin.” (Ibid.)
Shortly after returning to Washington on the morning of June 9, Kissinger and Dobrynin continued their discussion by telephone. According to a transcript of the conversation, Kissinger raised two points: “One, I have told our bureaucracy that you and I had breakfast and I took you for a helicopter ride around the city. You don’t have to say anything but just don’t say the opposite. Secondly, on that issue on your presence in W. Berlin, I have now received communications from Rush and it will move in the direction I talked with you about.” Dobrynin replied: “What you hinted before. It will be this way when I will be back. Confirmation of what you mentioned. Thank you.” (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 394, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File, Dobrynin, Anatoliy Fedorovich) Kissinger was presumably referring to telegram 6947, Document 250.