MEMORANDUM NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SE CR EX SENSJ Xl'Z E January 31 1973 E¥ES OWLY MEMORANDUM FOR MR KISSINGER FROM Helmut Sonnenfeldt SUBJECT Burke Trend Three suggestions for your talk 1 Tell him you continue to be concerned by rumblings from UK officials implying some sort of US-Soviet shenanigans on MBFR E G the effort to pin us down to an integrated program'' beginning with constraints seemed to be motivated by the idea that we could not be trusted once negotiations get under way Tell him that we remain open for the closest consultations with them on a confidential basis some of the earlier NSC staff consultations with the British were leaked into the bureaucracy Tell him that the Soviets will probably propose a negotiating group that does not include Hungary While this will prejudge the area we think on the whole that it probably should be accepted because if Hungary is included the Soviets would undoubtedly drag in our bases in Italy Point out the Soviet argument that with Hungary in all countries where they have troops but not all countries where we have them will be in · 2 FBS We are willing to have an FBS debate in NATO but again we do not want to be nailed to one position FBS relates to the central bargain which is at least as important to the Europeans as FBS we think we need maneuvering room Obviously we will consult especially with the UK But their officials should stop trying to make us sign in blood on f1 'I J non-circumvention or whatever 3 Poseidon You probably won 1t have time to read the wordy but thoughtful State Department paper attached Tab A The main point is to remain in a sympathetic po sttire but not to make a commitment even to a l ypothetical question of what we would do if I think the answer here too is close private contact - e o we know how their thinking develops and we both go forward with our eyes open Incidentally as both the State and Defense papers show this whole range of problems is being vented within the agencies · though they are probably not aware that there have been some previous exchanges here · SE€ R El 'f f SE NSITIYE 'EYES ON ' CY DECLASSlflED E Q 13526 Section 3 5 fs UJ 04-45 t 43 PER i -TR y kM 'W t2fill NARA Oate c P 1 or t1 _ 1 __ 1i-