304 COLD WAR INTERNATIONAL HISTORY PROJECT BULLETIN Telegram from Soviet Ambassador to the USA A F Dobrynin to the USSR Foreign Ministry 30 October 1962 30 October 1962 Today Robert Kennedy invited me to meet with him He said that he would like to talk about N S Khrushchev’s letter to the President yesterday 11 The President Robert Kennedy said confirms the understanding dogovorionnost with N S Khrushchev on the elimination of the American missile bases in Turkey Robert Kennedy confirmed that one speaks of an understanding Corresponding measures will be taken towards fulfilling this understanding within the period of time indicated earlier in confidential observance of NATO guidelines but of course without any mention that this is connected to the Cuban events We however said Robert Kennedy are not prepared to formulate such an understanding in the form of letters even the most confidential letters between the President and the head of the Soviet government when it concerns such a highly delicate issue Speaking in all candor I myself for example do not want to risk getting involved in the transmission of this sort of letter since who knows where and when such letters can surface or be somehow published—not now but in the future—and any changes in the course of events are possible The appearance of such a document could cause irreparable harm to my political career in the future This is why we request that you take this letter back It is possible Robert Kennedy continued that you do not believe us and through letters you want to put the understanding in writing The issue of Soviet missile bases in Cuba has unfortunately introduced a real element of uncertainty and suspicion even into confidential channels of contact We will however live up to our promise even if it is given in this oral form As you know it was in precisely the same oral form that the President made his promise to N S Khrushchev regarding the removal of a certain number of American soldiers from Thailand 12 That promise was kept So too will this promise be kept As a guarantee Robert Kennedy added I can only give you my word Moreover I can tell you that two other people besides the President know about the exist- ing understanding they are Secretary of State Dean Rusk and advisor on Soviet affairs Llewellyn Thompson If you do not believe me discuss it with them and they will tell you the same thing But it is better not to transfer this understanding into a formal albeit confidential exchange of letters as can be noted the greatest suspicion in the two Kennedy brothers was elicited by the part of Khrushchev’s letter which speaks directly of a link between the Cuban events and the bases in Turkey We hope that N S Khrushchev will understand us correctly In regard to this Robert Kennedy insistently asked to take the letter back without delay I told Robert Kennedy that everything said above I would report to N S Khrushchev emphasizing in doing so that even the President and he Robert Kennedy could be sure of the fact that the Soviet government is regarding the understanding that has been reached as strictly secret and not for publication At the same time in order to confirm Robert Kennedy’s statement about the understanding I asked him again about whether the President really confirms the understanding with N S Khrushchev on the elimination of American missile bases in Turkey Robert Kennedy said once again that he confirmed it and again that he hoped that their motivations would be properly understood in Moscow Taking what they explained into account I believed it conditionally possible—before receiving any instructions from Moscow—to take this letter back since a categorical refusal to do so would in my opinion only weaken Robert Kennedy’s firm statements on the understanding that has been reached Moreover leaving the letter with him after he had clearly expressed the President’s desire not to exchange letters could scarcely be in the interests of doing business in the future In conclusion Robert Kennedy said that in his opinion the events connected with the Cuban issue have been developing quite favorably and that he hoped that everthing would eventually be settled He added that on the Turkish issue and other highly confidential issues he was prepared to maintain a direct contact with me as earlier emphasizing in doing so that the point was the the possible oral considerations of the President and the head of the Soviet government N S Khrushchev on the exchange of letters on such delicate issues as missile bases in Turkey or issues which need to be handled more by the State Department than by him personally taking into account the delicacy of his situation as the President’s brother and as Attorney General of the United States I do not want Robert Kennedy added to claim for myself the function of the State Department but my “solitary diplomacy” may be needed several more times and we will meeting with each other periodically I answered to Robert Kennedy that I was prepared to maintain contact with him on highly important issues in the future passing over the heads as he himself suggested of all intermediaries Robert Kennedy confirmed this From what Robert Kennedy said it was clear that the President is trying now to avoid exchanging any documents on issues of a highly delicate nature like Turkey which could leave a trace anywhere but that he favors the continuation of a confidential exchange of opinions between the heads of the two governments We believe it expedient to visit Robert Kennedy once again and to issue a statement in referring to our mission that the Soviet government and N S Khrushchev personally are prepared to take into account the President’s desire for maintaining the secrecy of the oral understanding on the removal of the American missile bases from Turkey It is also expedient to tell of our willingness if the President is also prepared for this to continue the confidential exchange of opinions between the heads of the governments on many important unresolved issues on whose resolution the lessing of international tension and of the tension between our two countries in particular is to a very great degree dependent I request instructions 30 X 62 A DOBRYNIN Source Archive of Foreign Policy Russian Federation AVP RF Moscow copy obtained by NHK Japanese Television provided to CWIHP and on file at National Security Archive Washington D C translation by John Henriksen Harvard University Telegram from USSR Foreign Ministry to Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister V V Kuznetsov New York 31 October 1962 In the negotiations between the del-