569. Message From President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Bulganin1
I refer to your message to me of November 5.2 The fighting in the Near East has now been brought to an end through the efforts of the United Nations, the body properly responsible for accomplishing this. It is essential that peace be totally restored to the area and that no action be taken which would in any way exacerbate the situation there.
With respect to your suggestion that the United States join with the Soviet Union in a bi-partite employment of their military forces to stop the fighting in Egypt, it is our view that neither Soviet nor any other military forces should now enter the Middle East area [Page 1112] except under United Nations mandate. Any such action would be directly contrary to resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations which have called for the withdrawal of those foreign forces which are now in Egypt. The introduction of new forces under these circumstances would violate the United Nations Charter, and it would be the duty of all United Nations members, including the United States, to oppose any such effort.
It is difficult to reconcile your expressed concern for the principles of morality and the objectives of the United Nations with the action taken by Soviet military units against the people of Hungary. Your letter to me of November 73 concerning this tragic situation was deeply disappointing. Were the Soviet Government now able to comply with the Resolutions of the U.N. on the subject of Hungary, it would be a great and notable contribution to the cause of peace.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/11–1156. Secret. Transmitted to Moscow in Priority telegram 579, November 11, 11 p.m., which is the source text, with the instruction: “Please deliver soonest following message from President to Marshal Bulganin. Confirm date and time delivery.”↩
- Document 505.↩
- Scheduled for publication in volume XXV.↩
- Telegram 579 bears this typed signature.↩