Yeltsin, Chechen Leaders To Meet In Moscow Russian President Sees Making Peace As Key To Election

In a surprise move with powerful implications for President Boris Yeltsin’s effort to win re-election, the Kremlin announced on Thursday that Yeltsin and the leader of the rebels in Chechnya plan to hold talks in Moscow.

The announcement, which occurs against the backdrop of bitter fighting in the breakaway Chechen republic, is a high-stakes step for Yeltsin. The war has dogged him for 17 months, and he has declared that he cannot win re-election without progress toward a peace settlement.

With the Kremlin and Chechen rebels at odds on the central issue of independence, few predict a quick solution to the conflict, which has killed more than 30,000 people.

The Moscow talks are to focus on steps to quell the fighting and not on the ultimate political status of Chechnya. But the meeting with the rebel leader, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, which is to be held before the June 16 presidential election, still has enormous potential political benefits for the president, as well as risks.

For Yeltsin, the meeting would be an opportunity to demonstrate his interest in a peace settlement and woo supporters of Grigory Yavlinsky of the liberal Yabloko party, who has made progress toward a settlement a condition for his support.

Before the death of Dzhokhar Dudayev, Yandarbiyev’s predecessor, Yelstin denounced Chechen rebel leaders as bandits. He eventually offered to hold discussions but only through an intermediary.

For Yandarbiyev there are also potential gains. He would get an opportunity to stand on the world stage with Yeltsin and attract attention to the Chechen cause, which the rebels have repeatedly complained is being ignored by Western nations.

And while the talks proceed, the Chechen leaders would likely secure a respite from Russia’s bombing and rocket attacks. According to reports from Chechnya, fierce fighting raged on Thursday around the rebel base at Bamut, south of Grozny.

But having raised public expectations with the announcement, a deadlock at the talks would be a political setback for Yeltsin.

The first announcement of the planned meeting was made by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which helped broker the talks.

“This is a first important step towards a peaceful settlement of the Chechen conflict,” said Tim Guldimann, the head of the organization’s Chechen office.