text: Lebed , Chechens start peace talks . KHASAVYURT , Russia 1996-08-30 Russian peacemaker Alexander Lebed and Chechen separatist military leader Aslan Maskhadov started a new round of peace talks on Friday in this settlement just outside the rebel region . Lebed , who flew into Chechnya earlier in the day , said he hoped to sign a framework agreement on a political settlement of the 20-month conflict in which tens of thousands of people have died . Neither Lebed nor Maskhadov made any statement before the talks .