CHECHNYA ARMISTICE TALKS BLOCKED.

The Russian military command and the Chechen resistance leadership are trading accusations over the failure to convene overdue talks on implementing the armistice protocols signed June 10 in Nazran. The Russian command has invited Chechen chief of staff Aslan Maskhadov and his team to hold the talks at Russian headquarters in Khankala or in Nazran. The Chechen side responds by citing the June 10 understandings that the talks will be held at the OSCE mission’s office in Grozny. Meanwhile the resistance appears to be adhering to its informal promise to refrain from military action in order to facilitate Boris Yeltsin’s election as president. (Russian and Western agencies, June 18 and 19)

Higher Fine for Draft Evasion.