300. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)1
K: Anatole, how are you?
D: You already calling from West Coast?
K: That’s right.
D: Oh [omission in the source text].
K: That’s right. Uh, Anatole, we are having a slight bureaucratic problem with the Berlin thing that I wanted to discuss with you. While I was in the air Rush reported officially that he had made a tentative agreement. Rogers then ordered him to come back for a week so that he could look it over to see whether it was in accord with Presidential directives. Now, I am very reluctant to overrule this because if there is any problem about whether it is in accord with Presidential directives I can settle it because I write the directives.
D: Yes, I understand.
K: So, what I want to tell you, I have asked Rush to see whether he could get it reversed without appealing to me.
D: I understand.
K: If he cannot get it reversed I’ve asked him to ask for a two-week recess …
D: Why not for one week?
K: Or one week, I didn’t give a time, I said for a short recess. But I want to assure you. … I’ve talked to the President by telephone.2 We stand behind the agreement and there is simply a bureaucratic problem to get everybody lined up.
D: Oh I see. Okay.
K: So you have … I just want Gromyko to understand that it is just … If he asks for a recess which is not a hundred percent sure, it is entirely technical.
[Page 851]D: I understand.
K: And we expect to have it initialed the first week of September.
D: Initial what?
K: Well, you know.
D: Oh … at the beginning, the settlement between Ambassadors.
K: That’s right.
D: By beginning of September.
K: That’s right.
D: Okay.
K: Or during maybe the first week of September. But I repeat we stand by what Rush has done and we will not ask for any changes.
D: Oh I see. I understand. Okay.
K: But it’s a way for us to get the State Department lined up.
D: Yes so …
K: Well, what I’ve told Rush is if he can get it changed without appealing to us then it will go normally. If he cannot do it then I asked him to come home and if there’s any disagreement it comes to me.
D: But you say what was agreed upon by Rush up till now you still buy, yes?
K: Yes, so you have nothing to worry about.
D: I understand, thank you very much.
K: It’s simply a question of management and we will stand literally behind everything that has been agreed upon.
D: Thank you, I will notify Gromyko.
K: But if you can have a little patience to let us go through our bureaucratic procedures.
D: I understand.
K: And I’ve also told Rush to explain the situation to Fallin.
D: Okay, I think it is fair enough. Thank you very much, I will notify Gromyko. Thank you for calling and have a nice time.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Country Files, Europe, Box 57, Berlin and European Security, Vol. II [2 of 2]. No classification marking. Kissinger was in San Clemente; Dobrynin was in Washington.↩
- The President, who was in New York the previous evening for the 89th Annual International Meeting of the Knights of Columbus, called Kissinger in Washington at 8:27 a.m. EDT; after stops in Illinois, Idaho, and Texas, Nixon arrived in San Clemente at 6:23 p.m. PDT on August 19. (Ibid., White House Central Files, Daily Diary) No substantive record of the conversation on August 18 has been found.↩