What does the cryptic crossword clue "Russian leader starts to ignore very able negotiator (4)" mean?

The definition is "Russian". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). I (first_letter="ignore") + V (abbreviation="very") + A (abbreviation="able") + N (first_letter="negotiator") = IVAN; definition: "Russian leader" The answer is IVAN.

Russian leader starts to ignore very able negotiator (4)

Guardian Cryptic #24485 | 10 Across | 2008-09-04 flower

← Back to puzzle

Visit Guardian's puzzle site →