Moscow's Promising Offer

In his Oval Office debut, Eduard Shevardnadze demonstrated that he had already mastered the institution of the White House "photo op" that precedes even the soberest diplomatic sessions. "The reporters are on the offensive," the genial Soviet Foreign Minister told Ronald Reagan. When asked by reporters what message he would convey to his host, Shevardnadze quipped, "If I tell everything to you, what am I going to say to the President next?"

Banter between the superpowers can mask a deadlock, a breakthrough or something in between. By the time he got to the White House last Friday, Shevardnadze had been through...