YELTSIN TAKES CONTROL OF CHECHEN TALKS.

Yeltsin told theRussian security council August 30 that he had no intention ofpushing Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin aside in the search for peace,but only wanted to help find a way out of the current impassethere, Russian media reported. Yeltsin and the other members ofthe council agreed that Moscow could make more concessions inorder to restart the peace process, but warned that no progresswould occur unless the Chechens both turned in their arms andreleased Russian prisoners. Russian media reports also suggestedthat Oleg Lobov, Yeltsin’s representative in Chechnya, will reallybe in charge of all these efforts: he now has the status of afirst deputy premier, Russian radio said. And Izvestiyanoted that these latest moves show just who "is the realmaster in our common home- Russia." Meanwhile, there waslittle progress on the ground in Chechnya itself on any of thekey issues.

Yeltsin to Meet With Bankers on Crisis.