172. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union1
276992. When Under Secretary saw Soviet Ambassador November 22 on another matter, he touched briefly on the current situation in Eastern Europe. Under Secretary said that rumors of increased military activity in Eastern Europe had come to our attention, that as was his practice he had no wish to make official démarche on basis of rumors and that he would prefer to rely on assurances given Secretary by Dobrynin in late August with regard to other possible Soviet moves in Eastern Europe following the invasion of Czechoslovakia.2 Dobrynin asked if Under Secretary were questioning assurances of late August in which case he would formally ask Moscow if they were still valid. Under Secretary said he was not questioning assurances and asked if there were any question in Dobrynin’s mind with regard to their continuing validity. Dobrynin said that he had no doubt that the statements he made to the Secretary in late August remained valid.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL EUR E. Confidential; Exdis. Drafted by Toon and approved by Katzenbach. Also sent to USNATO and repeated to Belgrade, Bucharest, and London.↩
- See Document 167.↩