The Cold War might be over, but there’s still much to be done before the United States and Russia truly can say there is no chance things will return to the way they used to be.

On Saturday, President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin met “as friends” and to remove “any remnants of Cold War hostility” between the two nations.

While the move might have been a good political show for both parties, Yeltsin really needs assistance from the United States. To help out, the U.S. has been sending an airlift of emergency food and medical supplies to the newly independent states, which has been a wise political move on Bush’s part.

A far better leader in foreign affairs than domestic (the U.S. economic shambles is proof enough), Bush knows that if the new system in Moscow collapses, the arms race could continue.

Yeltsin himself said “if the reform in Russia goes under, that means there will be a Cold War (which could) turn into a hot war. There is again going to be an arms race.”

Now, Bush is trying to bring quick reductions in nuclear weapons because there is still uncertainty about the number of missiles aimed at major U.S. cities and American missiles are still aimed at military targets in the Soviet’s territory.

Bush, however, should be proceeding with caution in his dealings with a vastly different and new Russia, because the new union is delicate and could crumble at any time.

It’s better to make changes one step at a time. The world can’t change overnight.