GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER WARNS AGAINST CHECHNYA BLOODBATH.

In an interview with a German newspaper that was published over the weekend, Germany’s defense minister described Russia as an important ally for Bonn and other members of NATO. But Volker Ruehe also cautioned that a "strategic partnership" between Russia and the alliance was only possible once the Kremlin established peace at home, and he warned Moscow that its war in Chechnya could ruin relations between Russia and the West. The conflict in Chechnya "must be resolved with lasting peace," Ruehe told the Bild am Sonntag, "the partnership [with Russia] cannot be drowned in a sea of blood." (Reuter, August 24)

Funding Problems Afflict Russia’s Nuclear Power Industry.