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In the nostrils of old Winston Churchill, the whiff of peace was like a tonic. Why not a parley at the summit? He had declared in Washington that he still thought such a meeting might be profitable if the time was right. What better time than amidst the acclaim and relief of an Indo-Chinese peace? He put it to his Cabinet: he could meet Malenkov at Geneva, in the happy aftermath of agreement. Or Berlin, or Stockholm might provide a suitable rendezvous: Churchill was not too keen on going to Moscow, which might look too much like a pilgrimage. Eden objected. He was already worried that the U.S. might spoil the happy atmosphere by bluntly condemning the partition of Indo-China and refusing to guarantee the settlement.
At best, the U.S. might be persuaded to accept Geneva as a necessary recognition of a clear defeat for the West. But it could hardly be expected to celebrate it.