The US President, Bill Clinton, has sought to play down an apparent warning from his Russian counterpart, Boris Yeltsin, over the war in Chechnya. Speaking on a visit to Beijing, Mr Yeltsin told the United States not to try to influence the conduct of the war. He said that America should remember that Russia is still armed with nuclear weapons. Mr Clinton said that he could not be too serious about that.
Mr Yeltsin is due to meet his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin. Despite widespread international criticism over Russia's actions, the Chinese government says that it backs, what it calls, Russia's right to protect its territorial integrity. Mr Yeltsin has made the trip despite concerns over his health. He has just spent a week in hospital for treatment for pneumonia.
Meanwhile, Russian armoured vehicles are moving towards the western outskirts of the Chechen capital Grozny and officers say they are poised for a major weekend offensive.
