Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–15, Part 2, Documents on Western Europe, 1973–1976

44. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Nixon¹

Washington, December 12, 1973.

SUBJECT

• Secretary Kissinger’s Address to the NATO Meeting

The Secretary’s address (Tab A) combined a frank critique of the state of US-European relations with a firm reaffirmation of our commitments to a strong Alliance, and presented three proposals. The comments of the other foreign ministers indicate that the meeting has cleared the air and was a step toward restoring confidence in the Alliance’s future.

The Secretary explained why you had authorized the initiative in the “Year of Europe” last April, which was designed to meet many of the concerns expressed to you by European leaders. One of our objectives was to create a new sense of emotional commitment at a time when a new generation had no emotional or intellectual attachment to the concept of Atlantic unity.

We were thus disappointed with the narrow and legalistic European response. The Secretary answered the principal European criticism on timing and substance of our initiative. He pointed out that you had discussed the concept of the Year of Europe with many European leaders and had received their encouragement. He reaffirmed our support for European unification, but on the assumption that it would lead to stronger Atlantic unity and would not be measured in terms of its distance from the U.S. He stressed that our motives could not be subjected to constant attack, while Europe invoked the indivisibility of our security.

In reviewing the Middle East crisis he emphasized that we had to react rapidly to the threat of Soviet intervention—an action which should have reassured Europe rather than provoking criticism. He also reviewed the energy crisis, emphasizing that the immediate question of the embargo could only be resolved by a rapid Arab-Israeli settlement; that the European position of seeking advantages with the Arabs could delay a compromise settlement.

In concluding his presentation he stressed certain realities: détente, European unity, common defense, and economic interdependence, and posed the question of whether we could deal with these realities as allies and partners, or as a transitory connection between two rival entities. He proposed three concrete steps: (1) to complete work on the Atlantic declarations; (2) to transform the words of these documents into practical progress including more frequent high level consultations; and (3) a concerted program to meet the medium and long term energy gap through cooperation between oil consuming and producing nations and efforts to find alternative sources. His concluding theme was that compared to the problems of a growing Soviet threat and the need to negotiate a new economic system our differences were almost irrelevant.

The Secretary plans to stress the same general themes in his address to the Pilgrim Society in London.

1. Summary: Scowcroft summarized Kissinger’s address to the NATO Ministerial meeting.

   Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 265, Agency Files, NATO Oct 73–Dec 73, Vol. XVI (2 of 3). Confidential. Sent for information. Attached but not published is Tab A, a paper entitled, “Secretary Kissinger’s Address Before the North Atlantic Council—December 10, 1973.” A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates the President saw it.