Office of the Historian
  1. Home
  2. Historical Documents
  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume III, Soviet Union, January 1981–January 1983
  4. Document 228

228. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Reagan 1

Moscow, October 30, 1982
Dear Mr. President:

I want to draw your attention to the fact that the question you touched upon in your letter of last October 25,2 concerns a Soviet citizen, sentenced for espionage and other grave anti-Soviet crimes, and lies within the exclusive competence of the Soviet State. There are neither legal nor any other grounds for resolving it in the manner you would wish.

At the same time, as I understand it, there is no basis for concern in this matter.

Sincerely,

L. Brezhnev 3
  1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC: Head of State File, USSR: General Secretary Brezhnev (8290742, 8290870). No classification marking. A typewritten note at the top of the memorandum reads: “Unofficial Translation.” Dobrynin delivered the letter to Shultz under cover of a November 1 letter. (Ibid.)↩
  2. See Document 225.↩
  3. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩