Office of the Historian

297. Letter From Soviet Leadership to Secretary of State Kissinger1

Moscow, undated.

We are ready to consider the possibility of enlargement of the depth of notifications up to 250 kilometers. However can we be sure that in this case two other parameters (number of troops—30 thousand and time of notification—18 days) with the depth of 250 kilometers will be finally accepted and thus the whole question of military measures will be closed at the Conference?

We proceed from the fact that the formulation on the voluntary basis of notifications concerning major military exercises, agreed upon with you, Mr. Secretary, in Vienna, will keep in force and will not be subject to any changes. Only on this basis we are ready to consider the question of depth in the abovementioned direction.

  1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, NSC Staff for Europe, Canada and Ocean Affairs, Box 44, Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1975 WH (3). No classification marking. Ahandwritten note at the top of the letter reads: “Handed to Gen. Scowcroft by Mikoyan, Soviet Embassy, 6:00 p.m., June 6, 1975.”↩