HEADING FOR THE SUMMIT: BORIS YELTSIN

Boris Yeltsin seemed almost buoyant. He was not quite the man who hopped on a tank to denounce the would-be coupmakers of August 1991, but, reinvigorated by a Black Sea vacation, he still delivered a bone-crushing handshake that belied-as perhaps it was meant to-the persistent rumors of his declining health and drinking problems.

On the eve of both Russia's celebration of the 50th anniversary of V-E day and the latest superpower summit with Bill Clinton, Yeltsin came with a great deal to say, as well he might. He had just declared a holiday cease-fire-rejected by the rebels-in Russia's war with the breakaway region of Chechnya. At home his political popularity is at an all-time low-thanks to the continuing economic crisis and a growing crime rate-and powerful forces are mobilizing that could threaten Yeltsin's prospects for the presidential election next year. Beyond all that, there are the issues standing between him and a successful summit with the U.S.-especially the expansion of nato into Eastern Europe and Russia's plans to sell nuclear reactors to Iran.

In an interview with TIME managing editor James R. Gaines, managing editor of TIME International Karsten Prager and Moscow bureau chief John Kohan, the Russian President ranged across all those issues and more. He and Clinton are getting "closer" to resolving their NATO differences, Yeltsin reported. His most apparent wish was to send a clear signal to Washington that he has high hopes for a summit meeting that many have already written off as nothing more than a polite exchange of views between leaders who are both under pressure from domestic political opponents.

TIME: What are your thoughts on the 50th anniversary of World War II's end?

Yeltsin: You know, 27 million people in our country perished during the war. We have published a series called The Remembrance Book. The volume for the Sverdlovsk area, where I was born and where my relatives lived, lists the names of all those who perished from that region during the war. There are seven Yeltsins, six of them were my relatives. So when we hold the traditional minute of silence on Victory Day, I will think, first of all, of Russia. But I will think also of what Bill Clinton and I should be doing together, of how I can better advance our policies and reforms to make life better for our people. I will think of what needs to be done to put an end to nuclear testing and how we should declare an eternal moratorium on the use of nuclear arms.

TIME: In your telephone conversation with Bill Clinton yesterday, was there any progress on the problems of nato expansion and the Russian sale of nuclear reactors to Iran?

Yeltsin: We didn't talk about the Iran issue, but we had a lengthy discussion about nato. We are moving closer to finding a solution that could be acceptable to both sides, but this decision should be taken during our personal meeting. This is what we agreed. Some people are now trying to drive a wedge between Russia and the U.S., but this will not work. Both President Clinton and I are firm on this.

TIME: Who is driving this wedge?