Acting Chechen President and resistance commander Abdul-Khalim Sadullayev on May 27 named Akhmed Zakayev as foreign minister in the underground government of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria. Zakayev, who was granted asylum in London several years ago, previously served as special envoy to Sadullayev\'s predecessor, Aslan Maskhadov. Sadullayev dismissed him early this year from the post of minister of culture following an internet polemic between Zakayev and radical Chechen ideologist Movladi Udugov. In an interview with RFE/RL\'s North Caucasus Service, a Russian translation of which was posted on chechenpress.org on May 30, Zakayev denied that his new appointment heralds a shift in resistance policy. He said the resistance still hopes for a peaceful solution of the Chechen conflict, and added that discussions on how to reach such a solution are under way within the Russian leadership. Speaking with Spanish journalists in Moscow on February 7, President Putin again ruled out peace talks with \"terrorists,\" but said Moscow would be prepared to embark on peace talks with resistance groups that surrender their arms. (RFE/RL)