Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu telephoned his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, the Defense Ministry revealed on Friday, marking a rare conversation between Moscow and Washington since the conflict in Ukraine began last February.
“On October 21, 2022, telephone conversations were held between the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu, and the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austin. Current issues related to international security were discussed. The situation in Ukraine,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on social media, without providing further details.
The US has already responded to the conversation and a US spokesman, Sergei Shoigu, asked his counterpart to keep “lines of communication” open. “Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining communication in the face of this ongoing war against Ukraine,” Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement following the phone call.
The phone call marks the first confirmed contact between the two countries since May. At the time, it will be recalled, Austin asked his opponent for an “immediate” cease-fire in the conflict.
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