Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 41 › Conversation 041-038

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Leonid Brezhnev and Anatoliy Dobrynin

Friday, June 22, 1973 · 12:34 PM–12:35 PM ET · White House Telephone · 35 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation041-038 on Tape 41StartFriday, June 22, 1973 at 12:34 PMEndFriday, June 22, 1973 at 12:35 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 041-038 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger coordinated a strategic communication effort to influence Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev ahead of his upcoming visit. Kissinger was instructed to contact Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin to convey that Congressional leaders held a positive reaction toward the President's diplomatic initiatives, specifically emphasizing the progress on Most Favored Nation (MFN) status. This action aimed to reassure the Soviet leadership and build momentum for negotiations despite delays in the summit's business agenda.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I am Mr. Kissinger.
Yeah.
On the line.
Brezhnev has delayed getting through with the business thing.
It occurred to me that you might try to get Dabrina on the phone and tell him the reaction of the leaders is very positive.
You see?
Right.
I'll do it this minute.
If you can, and that particularly that we made a strong pitch on MFN and so forth, but just that he might pass that to Brezhnev before he gets here, okay?
If you can reach him, fine.
Right.
Good.
Let me try it immediately.

NARA Description

On June 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 12:34 pm to 12:35 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 041-038 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 41-38

Date: June 22, 1973
Time: 12:34 pm - 12:35 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See also Conversation No. 946-17]

     Leonid I. Brezhnev’s schedule
          -Delay

     Kissinger’s telephone call to Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                                               -22-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                Conversation No. 41-38 (cont’d)

             -Reaction from Congressional leaders
                  -Most Favored Nation [MFN] status
             -Brezhnev

Also recorded on June 22, 1973

  • 127-003 12:29 PM · 43 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 12:29 pm on June 22, 1973 and 8:32 am on July 10, 1973.
  • 127-004 12:29 PM · 7 min — Unknown person(s) [likely cleaning crew] met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 12:29 pm on June 22, 1973 and 8:32 am on July 10, 1973.
  • 127-005 12:29 PM · 3 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 12:29 pm on June 22, 1973 and 8:32 am on July 10, 1973.
  • 127-007 12:29 PM · 3 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 12:29 pm on June 22, 1973 and 8:32 am on July 10, 1973.
  • 127-008 12:29 PM · 1 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 12:29 pm on June 22, 1973 and 8:32 am on July 10, 1973.
  • 041-037 12:30 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:34 pm.
  • 946-017 12:34 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:34 pm and 12:35 pm.
  • 946-018 12:35 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:35 pm and 12:51 pm.

All 70 conversations from June 22, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 041-038, June 22, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/041-038 (accessed October 10, 2026).