ALTHOUGH he strenuously denied it at his press conference, President Yeltsin appears to have made major military concessions to the United States and NATO in return for financial help and a boost to his and his country's image.
Faced with the inevitability of NATO eastward expansion, which, President Clinton stressed would go ahead, Mr Yeltsin gave up hopes of having a veto and settled for a "politically binding" instead of a "legally binding" treaty to regulate relationships between Russia and NATO.
Speaking to reporters after what was regarded as the most intense of his 11 meetings with Mr Clinton, Mr Yeltsin spoke of the Russia NATO Charter, final details of which have yet to be agreed upon simply as "binding" and while describing NATO expansion as a "serious mistake" he said he believed Russia, the US and NATO could "resolve all issues that are outstanding".
Mr Clinton said the wording agreed by him and Mr Yeltsin yesterday in Helsinki on the type of charter between Russia and NATO was that it would involve an "enduring commitment at the highest political level".
NATO expansion will, therefore, go ahead despite Russia's reservations. Russia will have after further negotiations which could last for several months, a charter signed by all 16 NATO member states in which its relationships with the alliance will be delineated. Although details are to be finalised, Mr Clinton made it clear Russia will have "a voice" but not "a veto" on matters in which NATO decisions impinge on the Russian Federation.
The official text spoke of "consultation" co ordination and to the maximum extent, joint decision making and action on security issues of common concern.
Mr Yeltsin expressed concern at a potentially threatening build up of forces close to its borders but appeared satisfied that there would be no introduction of new arms nuclear or conventional, in the dew NATO states and that certain arms from the Warsaw Pact era would not be brought into play.
It was agreed that the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE), which Russia has always claimed to be a relic of the Cold War, would be adapted, with details to be worked out at a later stage.
Concessions on the US side have, in general, been towards Russia's image as, if not a superpower, a very important player in the European region. Mr Clinton stressed time and again Russia's role in the development of a Europe which would be united and democratic for the first time.
Economically Russia gained from the summit by the delay in implementing destruction of missiles under the Start 1 and Start 2 treaties until 2007, by which time it is hoped that a Start 3 treaty will be in operation.
Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has yet to ratify Start 2. Mr Yeltsin said yesterday he was confident it would act "according to my advice". However, most observers believe this to be unlikely.
This, Mr Clinton said, would mean the reduction of strategic nuclear warheads to between 2,000 and 2,500, or an 85 per cent decrease from the figures which applied at the height of the Cold War just five years ago.
Agreement was reached, however, to preserve the 25 year old Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty while giving the US and the Russian Federation the right to develop their "theatre" missile defences against possible new threats.
Details of financial aid for the struggling Russian economy were not revealed but Mr Clinton praised the changes in the Russian cabinet, which indicated moves towards neo liberal economic policies. He stressed that aid to the Russian economy would also benefit US business, for example, the oil industry.
In a major cosmetic gesture to Russian prestige, Mr Clinton announced that the G-7 plus Russia meeting in Denver, Colorado, later this year would be known as the "Summit of the Eight".
