Moscow Summit
Nixon and Brezhnev signing the SALT agreement during the summit
Host country Soviet Union
DateMay 22–30, 1972
Venue(s)Kremlin Palace
CitiesMoscow
ParticipantsSoviet Union Leonid Brezhnev
United States Richard Nixon
FollowsGlassboro Summit Conference
PrecedesWashington Summit (1973)

The Moscow Summit of 1972 was a summit meeting between President Richard M. Nixon of the United States and General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It was held May 22–30, 1972. It featured the signing of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), and the U.S.–Soviet Incidents at Sea agreement. The summit is considered one of the hallmarks of the détente at the time between the two Cold War antagonists.

Trip

FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1969–1976, VOLUME XIV, SOVIET UNION, OCTOBER 1971–MAY 1972

69. Backchannel Message From the Presidents’ Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) Washington, March 23, 1972, 2214Z.

Following is a note received from our friend today. I have told Dwight to avoid confrontation on the Kremlin and the length of stay until you return. He is preparing a recommended position for your use on these two items which he understands you will handle.

Begin text of note:

“The Soviet leadership suggest to fix the duration of President Nixon’s visit to the Soviet Union as eight days. If this corresponds with the intentions of the President himself.

In this case the arrival of the President in Moscow could be planned for the second part of the day on May 22, and departure from the USSR—by the end of the day on May 30.

As a third city, besides Moscow and Leningrad, we suggest Baku, from where the President could fly directly to Teheran.

The residence for the President and Mrs. Nixon will be in the Kremlin.

A separate appropriate program will be prepared for Mrs. Nixon in accordance with her wishes.”

Warm regards.

Events

The summit followed in the wake of the historic 1972 Nixon visit to China earlier that year, with the Nixon administration soon concluding negotiations for the president to visit the Soviet Union.

On May 22, Nixon became the first U.S. president to visit Moscow (and only the second president, after Franklin D. Roosevelt, to visit the Soviet Union), as he and Henry Kissinger arrived to begin a summit meeting with Brezhnev.[1] First Lady of the United States Pat Nixon also made the trip.[2] Nixon and Brezhnev engaged in unscheduled talks on that first day.[2] Later that evening, a banquet was held at the Kremlin.[2]

On May 23, Nixon and Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Nikolai Podgorny signed the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection.[3]

On May 24, Nixon and Premier of the Soviet Union Alexei Kosygin signed an agreement paving the way for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.[4]

On May 26, Nixon and Brezhnev signed two landmark nuclear arms control agreements. The SALT I treaty, product of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, froze the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers at existing levels, while the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty restricted both sides to only two sites for anti-ballistic missiles, with 100 missiles each.[5]

On May 29, Nixon and Brezhnev concluded the conference, with the signing of a joint declaration of long-range plans to avoid a military confrontation and to eventually disarm.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kremlin Peace Talk by Nixon", Oakland Tribune, May 22, 1972, p 1
  2. 1 2 3 "1972: President Nixon arrives in Moscow". BBC News. June 11, 2004.
  3. ↑ United States Treaties and Other International Agreements, Vol. 23 (United States Government Printing Office 1972) pp 846–855
  4. ↑ U.S. Treaties 1972, supra, pp 867–872
  5. ↑ T.B. Millar; and Robin Ward, Current International Treaties (Croom Helm, 1984), pp382–390; "U.S.-Russ Nuclear Arms Pact Signed", Oakland Tribune, May 27, 1972, p 1
  6. ↑ "Nixon, Brezhnev Approve Plan to Seek World Peace", Oakland Tribune, May 29, 1972, p 1


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