The proposal sounds more like a gesture to show Soviet desire to stay in the diplomatic game without getting into a fight than a serious idea.

"We act out the oldest diplomatic game in the world."

For many Bolsheviks, self-determination was increasingly seen as "a diplomatic game which has to be played in certain cases".

Donali looked at me curiously, and again I felt he was playing some subtle diplomatic game.

They have educated Palestinians about the rules of the diplomatic game.

Being an old hand at the diplomatic game, Lacy knew when a compromise was being suggested.

But he also played his own diplomatic game.

Given the political and diplomatic games being played now with reform, the world may never know.

A lot of time and effort was unfortunately wasted on diplomatic positioning games.

"So the diplomatic game never really gets going."