The Russian government said today it’s holding direct talks with rebel representatives on ending the war in Chechnya, one of the strongest signs yet that Moscow wants to end the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Russia was conducting a direct dialog with Chechens on ending the conflict and predicted it would lead to concrete results. The statement is a marked reversal from previous claims that Russia will not negotiate with rebels until they surrender their weapons. The Russian military has failed to defeat the rebels, despite occupying much of Chechnya, and has suffered a series of defeats in recent weeks.