October 22, 1999
Web posted at: 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT)

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Clinton administration said Friday it would be talking with Russian officials on "all diplomatic levels" to voice its mounting concern over the escalation of violence in Chechnya.

The White House asked that Secretary of State Madeleine Albright call Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. Officials also said U.S. military leaders would contact their counterparts in the Russian military.

"We are trying to ascertain the facts," White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart said. "There are different versions that have come out from different parts of the Russian government. We don't have a conclusive answer right at this point."

Lockhart said, "What's clear is there's been a tragic situation there with terrible loss of life."

However, two senior officials said the administration planned to be more publicly critical of the attacks.

The administration's push for high-level talks with Moscow came a day after rocket strikes on the Chechen capital of Grozny.

'No way to find purely military solution'

"... We will continue -- regardless of this incident -- to make clear to the Russians and to both parties that there is no way to find a purely military solution to this situation," said Lockhart.

"We believe that a constructive political dialogue is the only way to end this," said the administration spokesman. "We should not repeat the mistakes of 1994 and 1996."

The comment was a reference to Russia's 1994 war with Chechnya, which ended in an embarrassing defeat for the Russians and defacto independence for Chechnya.

Russian officials deny carrying out an attack that led to the deaths of civilians.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russian operations in Chechnya had "nothing to do with the explosion," but a local Russian military spokesman says they attacked the marketplace but didn't kill civilians.

Putin's remarks contradicted an earlier statement from an army press spokesman, who said a Russian attack "hit the market because they were selling weapons there."

Clinton, Yeltsin exchange letters

It also came after an exchange of letters between Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin on the issue. Clinton wrote Yeltsin last week urging him to seek a "political dialogue" to the Chechen crisis. Clinton also called on Moscow to show restraint and refrain from "indiscriminate force."

The White House received a response from Yeltsin on Tuesday. Administration officials said the Russian president wrote that his government was responding to a terrorist threat.

Clinton officials said they wanted to hear the Russian government's explanation before deciding whether Clinton would seek to speak directly to Yeltsin.

White House Correspondent John King contributed to this report.

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