472 THE END OF THE COLD WAR
jotted down his impressions: ‘Critical – help us now.’^62 The American
administration continued to reject the Soviet request but encouraged
allied powers to step into the breach. By the end of October, the Ger-
mans were offering $20 billion and the Saudis had advanced their
$4 billion, the French $1.5 billion, the Spanish and Italians just a little
more.^63 Not every Western power was consistent in its support. Deputy
Prime Minister Sitaryan reproved the British for having withdrawn
$7 billion that they had deposited with the USSR. Sitaryan expressed
the hope that Prime Minister Major, who succeeded Thatcher on 28
November 1990, would reverse the policy.^64 Saudi Foreign Minister
Saud al-Faisal had recently confirmed to Gorbachëv that King Fahad
would guarantee the $4 billion of credits.^65 In trying to salvage his
economy, Gorbachëv knew that foreign financial assistance came with
strings attached. He continued to insist on the USSR’s capacity to deal
with its difficulties. The Soviet and American leaderships had drawn
close despite – or perhaps because of – all the recent tensions. But a
rift was opening between them over Kuwait that had implications for
the kind of world over which they presided.