SOVIET COMMENT ON U.S. ELECTION RESULTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-218-6-6-7
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: July 16, 2010
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: November 8, 1976
• Content Type: REPORT

OPSCTR, No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/16: LOC-HAK-218-6-6-7
SEPARATELY FROM 7HE HLU ULAK ruiz, wanes
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
OPSCTR NOTIFY JOHN SOUDERS (X7285) AND BOB LEVINE (X7774)
WHSR NOTIFY BOB GATES
ANALYSIS NOTE AG/WA
SOVIET COMMENT ON U.S. ELECTION RESULTS
INITIAL SOVIET REACTION TO THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HAS
INCLUDED CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION OF THE REASONS FOR THE OUTCOME BUT
LITTLE SPECULATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF U.S.-SOVIET RELATIONS UNDER A
CARTER ADMINISTRATION. SOVIET COMMENTATORS EXPRESSED MIXED FEELINGS
OVER THE FOREIGN POLICY POSITIONS THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE ASSUMED
DURING THE CAMPAIGN, COMBINING PRAISE FOR HIS PROMISES TO-WORK WITH
MOSCOW TO EASE INTERNATIONAL TENSIONS WITH CRITICISM OF HIS ALLEGED
COURTING OF THE "MILITARY- INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX" IN SEEKING VOTES. BUT
IF PAST PRACTICE IS ANY INDICATION, MOSCOW WILL LIVE THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT ON HIS FOREIGN POLICY INTENTIONS. EARLY
INDICATIONS OF THIS ATTITUDE WERE TASS' HIGHLIGHTING OF CARTER'S
REASSURANCES REGARDING THE CONTINUITY OF U.S. POLICY AND HIS OWN
COMMITMENT TO PEACE IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE 4TH, AND KULAKO V'S
OCTOBER REVOLUTION ANNIVERSARY REMARKS THE FOLLOWING DAY OBSERVING THAT
THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION CONSTITUTED EVIDENCE OF PUBLIC SUPPORT
FOR "REALISTIC TENDENCIES" IN FOREIGN POLICY. ONLY A WEEK BEFORE
THE ELECTION, BREZHNEV HAD INTIMATED THAT MOSCOW EXPECTED NO
IMPORTANT SHIFTS IN U.S. POLICY IN THE EVENT OF A CARTER VICTORY.
SOVIET COMMENTATORS HAVE INTERPRETED PRESIDENT FORD'S LOSS TO THE
CHALLENGER AS A RESULT OF CONTINUING U.S. ECONOMIC.DIFFICULTIES AS
WELL AS OF F'ORD'S MISHANDLING OF FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES DURING THE
CAMPAIGN. IN PARTICULAR, THE PRESIDENT WAS ACCUSED OF BEING
"INCONSISTENT" ON DETENTE. THE FIRST COMMENTARIES IN PRAVDA AND
IZVZSTIYA, THE MOST IMPORTANT SOVIET DAILIES, APPEARED TO.STRESS THE
PRIMACY OF DOMESTIC POLICY ISSUES IN THE OUTCCME; IZVESTIYA SPECIJ..ATED
THAT THE ECONOMY PLAYED A "LARGE, IF NOT DECIDING" ROLE IN THE VOTERS'
CHOICE. VALENTIN ZORIN, ONE OF SOVIET RADIO AND TELEVISION'S VETERAN
OBSERVERS OF THE UNITED STATES, TOLD SOVIET LISTENERS THE DAY AFTER
THE ELECTION THAT THE ADMINISTRATION'S "CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS"
CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL DETENTE AS WILL AS VOTER DISSATISFACTION
WITH THE ECONOMY HURT THE REPUBLIC CAUSE. TWO COMMENTARIES ON
MOSCOW RADIO'S ENGLISH-LANGUAGE FOREIGN BROADCASTS FOCUSED MORE ON
THE FOREIGN POLICY FACTORS IN THE OUTCOME. ONE CF THESE COMMENTARIES
SAID THAT PRESIDENT FORD'S GRADUAL SHIFT FROM STRONG SUPPORT FOR
DETENTE TO A "WATERED-DOWN VERSION OF THE RE.AGAN PLATFORM" OVER THE
COURSE OF THE CAMPAIGN SHOWED VOTERS THAT HE WAS LESS A MAN OF
PRINCIPLE THAN A MAN OF EXPEDIENCE.
EARLY SOVIET COMMENTARIES ON THE OUTCOME OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL CONTEXT HAVE AVOIDED ANY SERIOUS SPECULATION
ON PRESIDENT-ELECT GARTER'S PROBABLY FOREIGN POLICY.
TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY HAVE TOUCHED ON THE PROSPECTS FOR U.S.-SOVIET
RELATIONS UNDER A CARTER ADMINISTRATION, THEY HAVE CONFINED THEMSELVES
MAIUJLY TO REAFFIRMATIONS OF MOSCOW'S OWN DESIRE TO CONTINUE PURSUING
BETTER RELATIONS.
EARLY IN THE CAMPAIGN SOVIET COMMENTATORS REGULARLY EXPRESSED
SATISFACTION WITH CARTER'S "REALISTIC" POSITIONS ON FOREIGN POLICY,
NOTABLY ON RELATIONS WITH MOSCOW, THE VALUE OF A NEW SALT AGREEMENT,
AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A $5-7 8ILLION CUT IN THE U.S. DEFENSE BUDGET,I
BY THE CLOSING WEEKS OF THE CONTEST, HOWEVER, SOVIET COMMENTATORS
HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY CRITICAL OF WHAT THEY SAW AS BOTH CANDIDPTES3
ATTEMPTS TO APPEAL TO THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OF THE POLITICAL
SPECTRUM THROUGH STRESS-ON THE NEED TO DEAL WITH THE SOVIET UNION
FROM A "POSITION OF STRENGTH."
NEVERTHELESS, JUST A WEEK BEFORE THE ELECTION, CPSU GENERAL SECRETARY
9REZHNEV, IN HIS SPEECH TO THE 25-27 OCTOBER PLENUM OF THE CPSU
CENTRAL COMMITTEE, TOLD HIS AUDIENCE THAT MOSCOW EXPECTED NO
IMPORTANT SHIFTS IN U.S. POLICY AS A RESULT OF THE ELECTIONS. HE
SAID THAT DESPITE THE "GENERAL" AND "CONTRADICTORY" NATURE OF
THE CANDIDATES' REMARKS ON FOREIGN POLICY, BOTH SUPPORT AN EASING
OF WORLD TENSIONS AND, WITH EITHER AS PRESIDENT, THE UNITED STATES
WOULD "TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THI ACTUAL ALINEMENT OF FORCES" IN
THE WORLD AND HENCE CONTINUE TO "SEARCH FOR ACCORDS" WITH MOSCOW.
CPSU SECRETARY AND POLITBURO CANDIDATE MEMBER BORIZ PONOMAREV
WAS ASKED ABOUT SOVIET REACTION TO CARTER'S ELECTION DURING,A
3 NOVEMBER PRESS CONFERENCE IN LONDON WINDING UP A TRIP TO-BRITAIN.
IN A RESPONSE NOT YET PUBLICIZED BY SOVIET MEDIA BUT REPORTED
BY WESTERN NEWS AGENCIES, PONOMAREV SAID THAI' MOSCOW IN HIS
OPINION SHOULD "DEVELOP RELATIONS FURTHER" WITH THE UNITED STATES
UNDER A CARTER ADMINISTRATION. THE FIRST OFFICIAL COMMENT BY A
SOVIET LEADER WAS FYDOR KULAKOV'S REMARK IN HIS 5 NOVEMBER
:: EMLIN SPEECH ON THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION ANNIVERSARY THAT THE U.S..
ELECTION, LIKE THOSE IN ITALY AND WESIE GERMANY, SHOWED THAT THE
WESTERN PUBLIC FAVORS "REALISTIC TENDENCIES" IN FOREIGN POLICY. HE
WENT ON TO EXPRESS MOSCOW'S CONTINUING BELIEF' IN THE "GREAT
IMPORTANCE FOR ALL MANKIND "OF A NEW U.S. - SOVIET AGREEMENT LIMITING
1;TRA No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/16: LOC-HAK-218-6-6-7
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