Phil Donahue He's Not

By DAVID ELLIS/

In the bad old days before glasnost, some Soviet arms negotiators typically wound down from a tough day at the bargaining table with a liquor-soaked, showgirl-ogling foray to a Western nightclub. Today's post-glasnost Soviet diplomat, however, displays a greater sensitivity, in no small part prompted by dealings with tough and informed female U.S. negotiators during the long workdays. But with progress come some awkward moments. Last month a top Soviet delegate to the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks in Geneva rose to bid goodbye to an American counterpart, a young blond woman. Struggling for an appropriate send-off, he confided, "I would just like to say we will always remember you for your . . . warhead counts."

With reporting by David E. Thigpen