Russian president Boris Yeltsin yesterday paid a four-hour visit to Chechnya in fulfillment of his electoral campaign pledge to visit the republic. On his first-ever visit there, Yeltsin did not venture into Grozny or to any other area laid waste by Russian forces. He landed... MORE

Canadian authorities announced yesterday that two Russians suspected of spying had been detained and that deportation proceedings against them had been initiated. Canadian foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy admonished Moscow, observing that such espionage activities would contribute little to establishing good bilateral relations. He said he... MORE

U.S. defense secretary William Perry has offered to travel to Moscow in late July to address the Russian Duma and to answer any questions deputies might have regarding ratification of the START-1 Treaty, First Deputy Speaker of the Duma Aleksandr Shokhin said yesterday. Shokhin's remarks... MORE

Communist presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov is campaigning in southern Russia. Taking a leaf out of Yeltsin's book, he told voters in Novocherkassk, historic capital of the Don Cossacks, that he would continue the pro-Cossack policies initiated by the Yeltsin leadership. He said Leon Trotsky was... MORE

Opening a conference of the Russian armed forces' high command today, defense minister Pavel Grachev noted with satisfaction Boris Yeltsin's high praise for the military's role in Chechnya during the president's visit there yesterday. (Itar-Tass, May 29). Yeltsin stressed in several statements during his four-hour... MORE

Despite rumors of his impending dismissal, an unnamed source in the Russian president's entourage said yesterday that defense minister Pavel Grachev would remain in his post at least until the June 16 presidential election. The source said that Yeltsin "would hardly undertake major a personnel... MORE

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement, referring to a May 27 meeting in Moscow between senior Russian and Israeli diplomats, says that the two countries will continue "the mutually advantageous development of contacts in different spheres." It also discounted rumors of tensions between Moscow and Jerusalem.... MORE

Britain's trade secretary said yesterday in Moscow that London considers its recent spy wrangle with Russia to be a thing of the past, and that the incident will in no way affect Russian-British relations. His remarks, which followed the third session of the Russian-British Committee... MORE

A Russian Duma delegation, led by Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznev, began several days of talks with party and government leaders in North Korea May 27. The delegation is expected to be received today by Vice President Li Jong Ok, but will apparently not meet with... MORE

The Russian Duma overwhelmingly approved a statement May 24 calling for the suspension of international economic sanctions against Iraq. It also urged Russian president Boris Yeltsin to promote talks between Baghdad and the UN in hopes of winning a gradual lifting of sanctions. The statement... MORE