Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 500 › Conversation 500-006

Nixon & Kissinger on SALT and Soviet diplomacy

Tuesday, May 18, 1971 · 7:58 AM–8:02 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation500-006 on Tape 500 (tape position 00:10:18–00:13:02)StartTuesday, May 18, 1971 at 7:58 AMEndTuesday, May 18, 1971 at 8:02 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 500-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed urgent strategy regarding the ongoing Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) and the necessity of finalizing agreements with Soviet officials. The conversation focused on navigating diplomatic obstacles, specifically concerning the precise wording of proposed terms and coordination with Anatoliy Dobrynin. Nixon emphasized the importance of resolving these issues promptly during the current week to preempt potential domestic political complications, such as the Mansfield amendment.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Uh, we will, uh, use the jaw lockers.

Exactly, Mr. Wilcox.

Exactly, and I will, of course, make the plenty detections that have come by.

There's no problem because I didn't have anything important.

I just said,

I thought it would be good if he and I went over some things before he went off.

That's why I wanted him in town.

And then, let's see what happens this morning.

I thought of a way of calling to bring him later today.

I'm going to tell him that you had planned to go away on Friday, and that's the reason we need to know the time.

This is

I just can't imagine what could go wrong.

It's that word.

I'm sure it's the word we won't change.

You know, when we say it's difficult, they shouldn't do it.

Gromyko cannot refuse a request by you on his own by saying it's difficult.

I'm sure he's taking it up with Bresnan.

And I'm sure it takes a day.

Yes, sir.

Took on the Mansfield.

Did you see that?

Yeah.

For the weekend.

Yeah.

Yes.

I would be routine.

If we could get this, it's the time to do it.

This is the week.

We ought to do it this week rather than hush around.

I've met that friend.

Huh?

I've met that friend.

Yeah.

And we've done all the work.

I just don't know what could be holding it up because I think it was the conditions.

Those can be accepted that it would be easy and laid by everybody if they changed that word and didn't make any difference.

Hold on.

Look, is that right?

Screw you.

If it's the word, screwing it up.

And then I said, well, you can deal with it.

Deal with it.

That's right.

Yeah, it is.

Well, nothing else goes the same as it being in the way.

NARA Description

On May 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:58 am to 8:02 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 500-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 500-6

Date: May 18, 1971
Time: 7:58 am - 8:02 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
           -William P. Rogers
           -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
           -Gerard C. Smith
                 -Forthcoming Talk with Kissinger
           -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                 -President's schedule
           -Wording
           -Andrei A. Gromyko, Leonid I. Brezhnev
           -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield amendment
                 -Position of [Name unintelligible]
           -Timing
           -Wording
           -Dobrynin

The President and Kissinger left at 8:02 am.
                                               4

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)

Also recorded on May 18, 1971

500-001 7:26 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:26 am and 7:55 am.
500-002 7:26 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:26 am and 7:55 am.
500-003 7:26 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Landrum Bolling met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:26 am and 7:55 am.
500-004 7:26 AM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Joe D. Waggonner, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:26 am and 7:55 am.
500-005 7:55 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:55 am to 7:56 am.
058-001 8:02 AM · 1 hr 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Melvin R. Laird, and Republican Congressional leaders, including U. Alexis Johnson, Robert P. Griffin, Norris Cotton, Peter H. Dominick, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, Barber B. Conable, Jr., Richard H. Poff, Robert C. ("Bob") Wilson, John J. Rhodes, Robert T. Stafford, H. Allen Smith, Robert J. Dole, Peter G. Peterson, George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Harry S. Dent, Ronald L. Ziegler, Bryce N. Harlow, and Kenneth E. BeLieu, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 8:02 am to 9:33 am.
500-007 8:02 AM · 34 sec — Alexander P. Butterfield and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:02 am and 9:33 am.
003-058 9:33 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:33 am and 9:34 am.

All 42 conversations from May 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 500-006, May 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/500-006 (accessed September 28, 2026).