I f ii- r1 oo•K 1m A ·1 im HATIO AI 11 t ttvf- ' - - • • DECLASSIFIED - Aulhcory tv1vo r 1w __ _ _ _ __ ·- · - By 5 1 t 1 OUTGSii'tG TELEGRAM ' NARA Date Lll 0 ·- - - --• DEF - IS-_ ti blfEcAI - ·A J t $ 1 6286· 7 ► z Department of State o c- S' INDICATE Q COUICI OCHAICl 10 SECRET EXDI S u0 Classl lcation l 1 09 Aroembassy COPENHAGEN ACTION 0 EX DIS STATE SUBJECT 1 ' Greenland - Nuclear Overflights and Storage Ambassador R6nne accompanied by Counselor Per Fergo met with Assis t ant Secretary Leddy on May 10 to consider US response to Danish note of February 26 2 Leddy refer red to R6nne 1 s April 1 comments on text proposed that ' date as pouched March 20 under cover McKillop Blankenship letter reca l led that R6nne had said first paragraph presented no pr obl ems for Danes but had suggested omission of second paragraph on basis that situation it addresses did not need spelling out in advance 3 Leddy gave Rf nne draft text consisting of first paragr aph only of April 1 text He said tha t if Danish Fonoff approves text USC prepared to incorporate same i n formal exchange of not es in near future 4 Leddy said t hat at time of exchange of notes he woul d reiterate possible requirement for US overfl ights und r circumst ances of a grave and sudden t hreat that does not allow time to obtain agreement of Danish Government Leddy said that the USC will reta i n record of this statement s Rtlnne asked if he would be obliged t o r eport teddy's oral statement to his S S - EUR SCAN - David SECRET EXDIS -·--•·- --·---·------r 1 1 ulfir11 I foll _J - - - -- · DECLASSIFIED·- I IAulhcrily tvNO By 5 1 '19cw_ - - NARA Oare ll JJ telegram to ____ Am emb a s s Y •'-'C' O' P__E NHA-- __G__E__N_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ SECRET ElCDlS Clussi icu tin 11 to his Government Leddy replied that was R Snne ' s decision R Snne said that ora17 statement appeared to make the proposed agreement less than binding out that the written agreement would be governing instrument l eddy pointed that as in case of any USG agreement we would abide by it to full extent of our ability to do so but that circumstances beyond our control could make overflights without consultation necessary He pointed out that we are not asking Danes to give written permission for such overflights but that we must make clear the possible need for same in event of a grave and sudden threat that would not allow time for consultations 6 R Snne asked why new d r aft was classified secret rather than··confidential as in the case of Danish February 26 note and US reply to that note It was pointed on out that Danish note had been request to initiate discussions imsupplementing 1951 agreement in regard to nuclear overflights and storage in Greenland and that US in reply had agreed to enter into such discussions Text under consideration was depl9yipent and over nt of weapons different matter since it embodied a specific limitation onius nuclear R iAAAA tftx hence must be secret 7 In reply to Ambassador's question on public statement Leddy said that we should first give Danish Government chance to consider text He stressed that in any case we cannot confirm or deny any statement concerning deployment or movement of nuclear weapons 8 R6nne said pressure from press remained heavy and that Danish Government must be able to issue statement referring to negotiations and US agreement to exclude nuclear weapons from Greenland 9 L In reply Leddy said again that we will not join Danes in such a statement nor could we confirm any statement on the negotiations I-le said that Danish Government r onM DS·J22A SECRET EXDIS Cla ssi ic t io11 - -- - - - -- - _J -I I ' 'Jl f' OlllK ' j ri -iu NHIOnAt U lll vi s· i - - • ·oECLASSIFieo·-·· ·1Authorily NNQ By 5 • r ' f lqp NARA Date tll 'O _of elegmm to _ _ _ _ Ame i m b as2Es Jy - C i 01J fE iJNHAJJAGE i JNll--- - - - - -- - - · -- - SECRET EXDI S Clttssi ica t in11 t here were no nuclear weapons i n Government can say tha t 7 or over Gree nland and t hat there would not be any wi thout t he Dani s h Government's approval The Dani sh Gover nment he sai d is free to give i t s peopl e f ul l assur ances on any aspect of this quest i on We c annot however fractur e our gl obal policy on the US nucl ear deterrent by publ icly confi rming such a statement He added t hat no such USG part icipation should be requir ed to val idat e statement by Dan ish Government to i ts own people 10 At t his point R6nne offered text apparently for publ i c stat ement but which Leddy did not repeat not accept Leddy noted it wou ld amount to f ormal amendment t o 1951 Agreement placi ng absolute ban on nuclear weapons in Greenland t hus making it too inflexible He pointed out that US proposal gave Danes the reques t ed assurances on nuclear weapons but allowed both part ies to act quickl y f c ircums t ances required nuclear overflights 11 R6nne persi sted in reiter ati ng need for Danish public reference to negotiat ions adding that if we cannot r each agreement here it would be necessary to consul t in Copenhagen under Articl e XI II 3 of the 1951 Agreement In r eply to repeated s t atements on need f or public statement Leddy again sai d that Dani sh Government free to say publicly that it is fully satisfied with current arrangements re Greenland nuclear mat t ers He pointed out that Danes do not in pract ice publish all of their international agreements and that no other nuclear power has given the sort of public assurances t hat R6nne was asking for xk alternat ives Government to consider 1 L He again urged Danish to their proposed method of assuring their public 12 On leaving R6nne said that US draf t note appears acceptable but that need remained for publ ic statement _j 111 ' ' END SECRET EXDIS OAM e e3 OS-322A C ONTINUATION SHltET Citlssific11tio11 ·-· ··- ··· ·· ·· ······ ···- -····· ·''