Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-006

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Ceasefire

Wednesday, January 31, 1973 · 10:10 AM–10:18 AM ET · White House Telephone · 8 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation043-006 on Tape 43StartWednesday, January 31, 1973 at 10:10 AMEndWednesday, January 31, 1973 at 10:18 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed preparations for an upcoming press conference, focusing on addressing the status of North Vietnamese prisoners of war and recent military activities in Vietnam and Cambodia. They reviewed the implementation of the ceasefire, analyzed the diplomatic statements from the Soviet Union and China, and coordinated their public messaging regarding the efficacy of the peace agreement. Additionally, the pair addressed administrative details, including the potential scheduling of a summit with Leonid Brezhnev and the planned meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Dr. Kissinger, sir.
Mr. President.
Hi, Henry.
Just two or three quick points.
With regard to the Laotian prisoner situation, I saw the answer you suggested, but how soon is that going to be?
I don't want to go out on a limb here.
Well, we are exchanging notes that are getting increasingly nasty.
They keep saying it will be a few days.
I keep telling them we won't hand over—we won't proceed on anything—
until we get the list.
What do you want me to say then, if I'm asked?
I would say we have been assured that it will be given to us in a few days, and if that turns out to be wrong, we'll have the notes in which they said it would be in a few days.
We've been sure that those lists will be provided in person, and we'll continue to press to get them.
That's right.
Okay, fine.
I think that will actually help produce them.
Yeah, yeah.
and that our relations, because your trip will be announced, they decided at 10 or 11, which was 10 o'clock.
Well, we'll hang that over him a little, too.
I mean, the whole post-war relationship is at stake here.
That's right.
I wouldn't go quite that far yet.
Oh, I know.
I'm telling you that.
That's absolutely right.
But we'll leave a little shot there.
one point uh what is this and then which i had not seen that uh after the effect that the therapy candidate picked up the brush and i canceled his visit for this year in total nonsense i just i thought so okay in view of all the conversations we've had it's on i'm not going to say anything about it except it's going to we expect to visit in 1973 period that's right that's what he said and that the date will be fixed by mutual agreement mutual agreement actually the major thing is
whether we can get enough of an agenda together.
That's right.
And considering all the things they're pressing us on, unless you have a strong reason, there's in fact something to be said to have it in October rather than in June from a substantive point of view.
Mm-hmm.
Fine with me.
I have no objection.
Congress and everything else.
What about...
I see some leak to the effect that Q and I will meet in Hawaii.
Well, that must have been from the Vietnamese or from the Agnew party.
Yeah.
I'll simply say that I hope it's some time to meet with him.
Don't you think so?
That's right.
Say it publicly.
With regard to the resupply of North Vietnamese NBC in South Vietnam...
How do they do it?
I mean, if Cambodia is closed and Laos is closed and the DMZ allows only civilian modalities, what's the deal?
They will get something.
The legal entry points have yet to be determined, but there will probably be two seaports and one point at the DMZ.
And as I understand it, then, that on the
agreement that they can supply people over those seaports, is that right?
Well, all they can do is to replace weapons.
Replace weapons that are worn out, used, et cetera, et cetera.
They have no legal right to bring in anything else.
Anything new.
I know, I know.
Nor, for that matter, have they got a right to bring in uniforms and things like that, technically speaking.
Yeah, I know, I know.
We all know that if the agreement is kept, there's nothing wrong with the agreement.
It's just a question of whether they keep it.
If you could add 15,000 clauses, it wouldn't mean a thing.
A disagreement is a totally airtight agreement if it's kept.
No question about it.
No question.
I just wanted to know that these are questions Ron thought might come up.
I wouldn't, incidentally, I sent you a note yesterday, volunteer anything about their murdering activities in the context of their
of attacking Hanoi if it's done in the context of lying to people who are accusing us of carpet bombing.
That's the only way I was going to use it.
Right.
But no.
Because they say we're killing civilians.
We'll say, well, now there are a lot of civilians killed in the South.
That's right.
Which we've got to do.
In that context, it can be done.
And I think if one volunteers too harsh an attack on them, I don't tend to it.
But I
answer that in case they oh yeah say that we've killed people in the north absolutely because we've been i mean uh we have to realize here that we have to be rather gingerly but they haven't been too i mean they've uh they've gone they've been pretty restrained in their public restrained restrained right right but uh i mean on the in terms of the very restrained in terms of the
what is achieved and all that sort of thing.
But be that as it may, we'll see.
Those are the only things I have.
You have anything else on that?
On the military activities now.
They've receded, I see.
They've receded.
The biggest fight is now going on in an area where the South Vietnamese try to grab some territory right after the ceasefire.
They try to seize a naval base.
Yeah.
Along the shore, along the coast north of the Coabiat River, and the North Vietnamese are trying to retake that.
Mm.
The only big fight that's now going on.
But it's really going quite well, isn't it?
The South Vietnamese have fought extremely well.
Not on that, but I meant the ceasefire is going quite well.
That's right.
The very thing that we said that would recede, even the press reluctantly concludes that it's going down.
Exactly.
They're going to have one hell of a time with this thing.
They're going to have one hell of a time.
I mean, you know, assuming that some of this does recede.
And Brezhnev's statement, of course, will be helpful in a curious way, you know, that people believe that the son of a bitch means it.
We all know that.
But nevertheless, it sort of indicates that maybe we had a pretty good agreement.
I mean, some of them will think it's the communists who are praising it, but on the other hand, many will think that we've got the Russians to go along with trying to enforce it.
Exactly, and that's what Brezhnev is saying.
Oh, what he said was just great.
Right.
The Chinese have made no public statement, have they?
Yes, the Chinese made a supportive statement in the same sense as Presner.
Publicly?
Publicly.
In fact, they carried along extracts from your speech.
Oh, yeah, yeah, you mentioned that, yeah.
And Sri Anug yesterday made a statement that he would re-examine his position about the... Now, with regard to the Cambodian unilateral ceasefire, is that in force and still in force?
And we, according to looking at the summary this morning from the intelligence, we are not bombing in Cambodia because of that.
Is that correct?
That is correct.
And that's 72 hours, and the enemy is respecting it up to this point?
Up to this point, yes.
In Cambodia.
So it might be extended another 72 hours?
Oh no, this will be extended indefinitely.
We just stood down for 72 hours to see how it would work.
As long as it holds, we will observe it.
And as far as Laos is concerned, we can just say we have reason to believe there will be a negotiated ceasefire?
In a reasonably short time.
Okay.
Right.
And that's coming rather well, isn't it?
Yes, they went into secret talks yesterday.
Fine, fine, fine.
Okay, thank you, Henry.
Not that you have nothing else in mind.
No, there's nothing else.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 31, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:10 am to 10:18 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-6

Date: January 31, 1973
Time: 10:10 am - 10:18 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See also Conversation No. 403-18]

       The President’s forthcoming press conference
            -Laos Prisoners of War [POWs] list
                  -The President’s possible response
                         -Kissinger’s view
                         -Timing
            -Kissinger’s trip
            -Patrick J. Buchanan’s news summary
                  -Leonid I. Brezhnev
                         -Timing of visit to US
                               -Agenda
                               -Timing of visit
            -Vietnam settlement
                  -Possible meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu
                                            -4-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 43-6 (cont’d)

                        -Hawaii
                        -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
                  -Re-supply of North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
                        -Viet Cong
                        -Cambodia, Laos, demilitarized zone [DMZ]
                        -Legal entry points
                              -Ports
                              -DMZ
                        -Discussion of agreement
                              -Violations
                  -Ronald L. Ziegler
                  -Bombing
                        -Civilian deaths
                        -Hanoi
                        -North Vietnam
                              -Commentary
                              -Deaths in South Vietnam
                  -Military activities
                        -Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] actions
                              -Naval base
                              -North Vietnamese actions
                        -Cease-fire agreement
                              -Press statements
                              -Brezhnev statement
                                     -Soviet Union position
                              -People’s Republic of China [PRC] statement
                              -Norodom Sihanouk’s statement
                              -Cambodian unilateral cease-fire
                                     -US bombing policy
                                     -Enemy actions
                                     -Lon Nol
                              -Laos
                                     -US positions in peace talks
                                     -Diplomatic actions of Laotians

Also recorded on January 31, 1973

  • 043-002 10:02 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:02 am.
  • 043-212 10:03 AM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:03 am.
  • 043-004 10:04 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter J. Brennan talked on the telephone from 10:04 am to 10:06 am.
  • 403-015 10:04 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter J. Brennan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:04 am to 10:06 am.
  • 043-005 10:06 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:06 am and 10:10 am.
  • 403-016 10:06 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:06 am and 10:10 am.
  • 403-017 10:10 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 10:10 am.
  • 403-018 10:10 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:10 am to 10:18 am.

All 86 conversations from January 31, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-006, January 31, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-006 (accessed October 1, 2026).