Speaking in an interview with AFP on Monday, Akhmed Zakayev reiterated that Maskhadov bore no responsibility for the hostage crisis in the North Ossetian town of Beslan, which ended in the deaths of more than 330 people, including many children.

Maskhadov, elected president of Chechnya in 1997 during the republic’s short-lived de facto independence after the first 1994 to 1996 Chechen war, has traditionally been seen as a moderate force in the splintered separatist movement, although he has now moved closer to radical elements.

“We condemn this monstrous act by these hostage-takers,” Zakayev said by telephone from London, where he has been granted political asylum.

“Any violence against civilians is unacceptable, whatever one’s political aims, there can be no justification for that. These are not our methods.

“Our position from the first day of the second Chechen war has not changed. We are ready to abandon the armed struggle and take the path of political dialogue, without any preconditions,” he added.

But Zakayev said he doubted Putin would be ready to reverse his earlier refusal to enter into talks with rebels in Chechnya. Putin ordered troops into the rebel republic in October 1999, in what was billed as a lightning “anti-terrorist operation.”

“The Russian leadership, which is trying to resolve a political conflict through force, has not changed its stance, judging from Putin’s address to the nation [vowing a tough response],” Zakayev said.

“The escalation of the war is continuing to gather pace and spreading through the Caucasus. Such type of acts only strengthen the hand of those who push for the use of force in resolving the Chechen conflict,” he added.

Russian security officials have linked the radical Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev to the school hostage crisis.

Zakayev declined to point the finger at Basayev, but insisted that he too had to be drawn into a political process.

“If we want to obtain stability and security guarantees for everyone, for Chechens and Russians and all citizens, we have to speak to all sides and draw them into political dialogue,” Zakayev said. “We have to attract not only Shamil Basayev but everyone to a political process.”

BRUSSELS – Relations between Russia and the European Union hit a new low over the Beslan hostage crisis, when Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot said the EU wanted to “know from the Russian authorities how this tragedy could have happened.”

The Russian foreign ministry said the comments were “insolent,” “odious,” and “deeply offensive.” Bot, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, sought to clear the air, saying his remarks had been “misinterpreted.” But the comment came soon after the Lithuanian and Latvian foreign ministers urged greater criticism of Moscow’s handling of the crisis.