442 THE END OF THE COLD WAR
reunification and Soviet economic security were becoming entwined.
Nothing could happen until Gorbachëv and Kohl got together, and
Teltschik recalled that the Soviet leader had once proposed a meeting
in his native area around Stavropol and suggested that he needed cred-
its to the value of DM5 billion.^5 Kohl used the opportunity of a trip to
Washington, in a one-on-one conversation, to gauge Bush’s opinion.
Bush repeated that he could see no sense in offering direct financial
aid to the USSR. This disconcerted Kohl, who asked: ‘My question is
do we want to help him or see someone else [in power in Moscow].’
Bush lamely replied: ‘Probably, but I can’t say who would replace him
or how the economy would go.’^6 Kohl was starting to think he needed
to take the initiative. Teltschik heard from Scowcroft that Baker and
Shevardnadze were making no progress on the German question.^7 The
West Germans wished to break the deadlock and Kohl redoubled his
endeavours with the bankers and laid plans to meet Gorbachëv in
mid-July 1990.^8 Charm oozed from Genscher when he next encoun-
tered Shevardnadze. Sometimes he overdid it, as when he said: ‘You’re
a superpower and we are a small, divided country!’ Shevardnadze had
a wry smile when replying: ‘What modesty!’^9 But he and Gorbachëv
could not fail to notice that while the Western powers were eager to
talk about the new Germany, they were reluctant to help the economy
of the old USSR.
It was with this in mind that Gorbachëv travelled to America for
his summit meeting with Bush. He could be sure of a warm welcome
from the President, who had confided to Kohl: ‘The press says I am a
Gorbachëv lover. That may be true. I have met the other kind. You’ve
met Yazov. If you sent to central casting for the stereotype of a Soviet
general, they would send you Yazov.’^10 Talks opened at the White
House on 31 May 1990 before being transferred to Camp David. Bush
wanted Gorbachëv to feel he was among friends. At Camp David, he
asked whether he would like to drive a golf buggy. Gorbachëv jumped
at the opportunity: ‘Why ever not? I’m an old farm mechanic!’ He
applied his foot too hard on the accelerator and nearly crashed into a
tree. He joked: ‘I hope I’ll not be accused of an attempt on the life of
the President of the United States.’ Gorbachëv also tried out the fitness
treadmill. Not having exercised for years, he found this exhausting and
transferred to an exercise bike. Bush nevertheless achieved his goal
and the atmosphere was good-humoured from beginning to end.^11
They went over many of the topics that had troubled them at the
Malta summit: Lithuania, Cuba, Germany. Bush said he knew how