On May 15, 1960, Nikita Khrushchev met with French President Charles de Gaulle in Paris to discuss the fallout from recent incidents involving US reconnaissance aircraft violating Soviet airspace. Khrushchev emphasized the Soviet Union’s outrage over these acts, labeling them as aggression and a threat to sovereignty. He called for the US to acknowledge its violations, condemn the actions, hold those responsible accountable, and commit to ceasing such provocations. De Gaulle expressed regret over the incidents but maintained that espionage was an inevitable reality of modern geopolitics. He assured Khrushchev that he would convey the Soviet statement to US President Dwight Eisenhower but noted that France had not participated in planning the reconnaissance missions. The discussion also touched on broader themes of disarmament and international cooperation, with Khrushchev reiterating the USSR’s readiness to engage in the summit only if the US changed its course. De Gaulle stressed the necessity of dialogue to prevent future incidents and achieve détente. Both leaders reaffirmed their nations' desire for peace but left the resolution of the immediate crisis contingent on US actions.

This document summary was generated by an artificial intelligence language model and was reviewed by a Wilson Center staff member.

Sverdlov provides a brief overview of agent "Volodya" (Imre Nagy) and his work.

Matusov and Altman report on Nagy's arrest on 4/5 March 1938 and subsequent release on 8 March, and describe some of his work.

The Politburo discusses what to do after the failure of the Reykjavik summit over Reagan's insistence on preserving the right to continue the SDI or "Star Wars" project, as well as the subsequent expulsion of Soviet diplomats from the US. In the angry, bitter meeting Gorbachev decides on the removal of 250 Soviets working in service positions at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

In this September 1986 excerpt, Gorbachev receives a report from KGB chief Chebrikov that he had requested on “what kinds of people are serving sentences for crimes, which Western propaganda calls political.” Obviously following Gorbachev’s lead, Chebrikov proposes to alleviate the prison sentences of two-thirds of the 240 persons he lists under this category; but, in response to a question from Gromyko, he notes two cases where the guilty parties had already received a sentence that could not be reduced—execution for espionage.

Yearly report by KGB Chief Andropov to the CPSU leadership on the actions taken by the KGB in the field of espionage, counter-espionage, and counter-propaganda.