356 THE END OF THE COLD WAR
was the most fawning as he told Gorbachëv: ‘You’re bearing a new
conception of the world.’^19
On 7 December 1988 Shevardnadze and Shultz hurried to the
assigned boxes, where Raisa and O’Bie were happily seated together.
(Shevardnadze’s aide Stepanov-Mamaladze recorded the ‘vain’
Kissinger as having drawn attention to himself in the vicinity.) The
hall was packed out and noisy. Expectations were at a peak.^20 Gor-
bachëv did not disappoint either in style or in content. He committed
himself and his fellow leaders to ‘the principle of freedom of choice’.
While praising the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Revo-
lution of 1917 for their contributions to human progress, he declared
the need for a ‘de-ideologization of interstate relations’ as the world
tackled the problems of ‘hunger, disease, illiteracy and other mass ills’.
His asserted ‘the primacy of the universal human idea’. Turning to the
USSR, he indicated his desire for democracy and the rule of law. He
heralded the end to radio jamming. On questions of disarmament
he said that he would reduce Soviet forces by half a million troops. He
heralded the conversion of military factories to the production of
civilian goods. He called for a fifty per cent reduction in strategic
nuclear missiles. He expressed gratitude to Reagan and Shultz and
looked forward warmly to cooperation with Bush.^21
The entire hall joined in an ovation. Arbatov tugged back Stepan-
ov-Mamaladze when he stood to applaud: ‘It’s not customary to get to
your feet here.’ Stepanov-Mamaladze replied that if the Americans
stood up to clap their President, he would do the same for the General
Secretary.^22
Gorbachëv gave the speech in the morning and was looking
forward to the other scheduled events of the trip; but on his way to
a meeting with Reagan and Bush on Governors Island, he received a
telephone call from Ryzhkov. The news was terrible. An earthquake
had struck Armenia and killed 25,000 people. It was obviously im -
possible to stay in America. He talked briefly to Reagan and Bush on
Governors Island. The conversation was light and nostalgic. Reagan
allowed himself a joke when a journalist asked whether there was
opposition to Gorbachëv’s military cuts in the USSR. Gorbachëv said
no, and Reagan said that Gorbachëv’s Russian nyet sounded a little like
yes.^23 He also retold President Lyndon Johnson’s humorous grouse
about the press – Johnson had said that if ever he walked on top of the
water across the River Potomac, the reports would say that he could
not swim. Bush assured Gorbachëv that he would continue to build on