Office of the Historian

795.00/6–2950: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

confidential
niact
Moscow, June 29, 1950—6 p. m.
[Received June 29—1:02 p. m.]

1767. Saw Gromyko at 5 p. m. taking Freers along and Gromyko had Postoev and Lavrov [Lavrentiev?] present. In atmosphere of calm and without constraint, Gromyko said he had statement to make in reply to mine of 27 June1 which he read in Russian, translation as follows:

“In connection with the statement of the Government of the USA transmitted by you on June 27, the Soviet Government has instructed me to state the following:

  • “1. In accordance with facts verified by the Soviet Government, the events taking place in Korea were provoked by an attack by forces of the South Korean authorities on border regions of North Korea. Therefore the responsibility for these events rests upon the South Korean authorities and upon those who stand behind their back.
  • “2. As is known, the Soviet Government withdrew its troops from Korea earlier than the Government of the US and thereby confirmed its traditional principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states. And now as well the Soviet Government adheres to the principle of the impermissibility of interference by foreign powers in the internal affairs of Korea.
  • “3. It is not true that the Soviet Government refused to participate in meetings of the Security Council. In spite of its full willingness, the Soviet Government has not been able to take part in the meetings of the Security Council in as much as, because of the position of the [Page 230] Government of the US, China, a permanent member of the Security Council, has not been admitted to the Council which has made it impossible for the Security Council to take decisions having legal force.”2

Postoev then translated into English.

I then asked if this statement was really a reply to last part of mine of 27 June (which I said I was sorry not to have been able to make to him in person on Tuesday—and got nothing from Gromyko) wherein US Government asks Government USSR to “use its influence with North Korean authorities to withdraw their invading forces immediately”, adding we hoped in this way to stop the fighting. Gromyko replied the statement was complete in itself and should be taken as a whole. He added I could always return if need be to discuss further.

I assume Soviets will shortly release text their statement.3

Department pass USUN, London, Paris, Tokyo; repeated info niact USUN 46, niact London 269, niact Paris 256, niact Tokyo 29.

Kirk
  1. See telegram 1749, June 27, from Moscow, received at 12:05 p. m., p. 204.↩
  2. On June 30, the Department of State issued a detailed statement contradicting the Soviet allegation that the actions of the Security Council on Korea were illegal; for the text, see Department of State Bulletin, July 10, 1950, p. 48.↩

  3. On June 29, the Department issued a press release concerning the exchange of notes in Moscow; the text of the Soviet note is printed ibid.

    At 2:30 p. m. (EDT) on June 29, the Minister of the British Embassy in Washington, Sir Derick Hoyer Millar, called the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Perkins) to inform him that the British Ambassador in Moscow had been instructed to make representations to the Soviet Government along the same lines as those made by the American Ambassador (795.00/6–2950; Korean Conflict).

    In telegram 2, July 1, from Moscow, Ambassador Kirk gave the following account of the British Ambassador’s efforts to present his Government’s views to Mr. Gromyko:

    “In connection with UK démarche here on UN Resolution on Korea, Britishs Ambassador Kelly was unable see Gromyko when on 29 June he was instructed to make statement British Government’s urgent hope Soviets would use their influence with North Korean Government to respect UN cease-fire demand and return troops to 38 parallel. After fruitless attempts to get appointment, Kelly finally saw Pavlov, British Section at 7 p. m. and delivered his statement. Pavlov said, ‘I will give it to Mr. Gromyko’, whereupon Kelly said, ‘Oh, is he here? Then I can see him myself’. But Pavlov at once said ‘No, he is at a meeting now and not available’.” (795.00/7–150)

    ↩