Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume IV, Soviet Union, January 1983–March 1985

216. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs (Burt) to Secretary of State Shultz¹

Washington, May 8, 1984

SUBJECT

• Soviet Turndown on Meeting with Soviet Scientists

The Soviet rejection of your invitation to meet with visiting Soviet scientists Velikhov and Sagdeyev is one additional example of Soviet reluctance to do business with us on anything but their own terms.² The Velikhov turndown, coupled with Dobrynin’s failure to date to respond to your offer of private space arms control discussions may indicate the Soviets want renewed ASAT negotiations and nothing else. We are continuing to work in the interagency ASAT group to come up with an agreed Administration position on space arms control as quickly as possible.

The Soviet rejection was foreshadowed this weekend by Soviet behavior at a conference on the ABM Treaty sponsored by the Federation of American Scientists.³ The conference sponsors invited Brent Scowcroft to attend the dinner opening the conference. Scowcroft joined Velikhov, Sagdeyev, Paul Warnke, Bill Colby and others at the head table. At the end of dinner Velikhov quickly excused himself, passing up the opportunity for an after-dinner conversation which the sponsors had hoped would ensue. Instead, Velikhov left a member of his delegation, one of Arbatov’s deputies, for an extended discussion with Scowcroft.

It was also apparent during the conference that the entire Soviet delegation had little latitude for discussion. They repeated standard Soviet positions and refused to be drawn into anything which might foreshadow their position in future negotiations. With few exceptions the delegation passed up nearly every opportunity to explore specific ABM Treaty-related issues in depth, much to the frustration of the American sponsors.

1. Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S, Sensitive and Super Sensitive Documents, Lot 92D52, May 1–May 10, 1984 ES Sensitive Documents. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Tefft on May 4; cleared by Pascoe and Palmer. McKinley’s handwritten initials appear on the memorandum, indicating he saw it on May 8.

2. In a telegram to Shultz, Dam informed him: “Rick Burt is sending you a cable raising the possibility of your meeting with the Deputy Head of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Yevgeniy Velikhov, but in the end advising a meeting at the Schneider/Burt/Howe level. You should be aware that I will be seeing Velikhov at a purely social dinner, an invitation accepted by my wife as an opportunity to practice her Russian. EUR sees no problem with my attendance at this affair.

   “You might consider meeting with Velikhov. You won’t have many opportunities to meet with a Soviet who is very well connected with the Soviet leadership, doesn’t work for Gromyko, and has a solid record as a scientist, academic, and government official. I am told he is a very articulate spokesman for the Soviet line on SDI, space arms control, etc. You might keep this thought in mind as you read Rick’s cable.” (Telegram Tosec 40050/118238 to Shultz, April 21; Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, N840006–0129)

3. The Soviet scientific delegation was scheduled to be in the United States from May 4 to 11. They attended a symposium sponsored by the Federation of American Scientists, “Defending the ABM Treaty,” from May 4 to 7, and participated in the annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences from May 8 to 11. (Telegram 112642 to the Mission in Geneva, April 18; Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D840253–0271)