Wilson, No. 2 – new columns – More is expected from a much anticipated meeting between President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei N. Kosygin than the circumstances justify. It would be more significant if they did not meet before Kosygin’s expected departure for Moscow this weekend….
Russia could not at present get much support from the Afro-Asian countries for a resolution condemning Israel and would fall far short of getting the necessary two-thirds majority. Some kind of resolution calling for withdrawal is conceivable. But in general none of these specific issues are likely to be settled without the intervention of a third party, as suggested by the United States, or a special U.N. mission to the mideast as suggested by Britain.
So what is there for Johnson and Kosygin to talk about now? They could express their differing views and possibly set up some more regular system of consultations between the two countries. They could see how well they get along with each other as individuals.
If they were really to get down to business they would consider some limitation and regulation of the supply of arms for the countries in the mideast. However, that requires such a high degree of cooperation and trust that it seems impractical at the present time when Russia is reported to be rebuilding the Arab forces destroyed by Israel.