Germany was informed by Russia of the decision Friday, said Hans-Dieter Wichter, spokesman for German Defense Minister Volker R--he. Moscow justified the delay by citing unspecified "military reasons," Wichter said.
Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel and R--he have all called on President Boris Yeltsin to show restraint in handling the crisis in Chechnya. Some of the strongest criticism has come from Kohl, who appealed to Yeltsin on Friday to "stop this madness."
Russia has also refused to issue visas to two German opposition lawmakers who wanted to travel to Moscow to talk to Russian deputies and human rights groups on the fighting in Chechnya.
In Oslo on Monday, Norway condemned the "brutal behavior" of Russian troops in Chechnya, saying the conflict could threaten Russian reforms and burden relations with Western countries.
Foreign Minister Bj?rn Tore Godal, in a letter to his Russian counterpart, Andrei Kozyrev, urged him to stop hostilities immediately and start cooperating with international organizations.
France warned Russia on Monday that it risked setting back efforts to build new ties to Europe if what Paris called repression and human rights violations continued in Chechnya.
The 52-member Organization of the Islamic Conference on Monday expressed anguish over the situation in predominantly Moslem Chechnya.
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