When plans were first made for Eduard Shevardnadze's trip to Washington, the aim was to prepare for the upcoming summit meeting between George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev. By the time the Soviet Foreign Minister arrived for three days of talks last week, the sessions had taken on far greater importance. In the wake of Gorbachev's campaign to thwart Lithuania's drive for independence, Shevardnadze's visit would be watched for signs of the damage done to U.S.-Soviet relations by Moscow's tough line -- and to gauge Bush Administration priorities in the era of waning superpower tensions.
By the time the Soviet Minister departed,...
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