US, Russian Defense Ministers Discuss Security and Ukraine: Moscow

Secretary of Defense of USALloyd Austin, and the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei ShoiguThey spoke on Friday for the first time since May and a senior Moscow diplomat said the call was necessary to iron out misunderstandings, the TASS news agency reported.

The Pentagon He declined to offer details beyond saying that Austin, who started the conversation, emphasized the need for lines of communication in the context of the war in Ukraine.

“Misunderstandings must be clarified so that accidents do not occur (…) these are always important contacts, and it is important that Americans have been the first to try,” TASS quoted Vienna-based Russian diplomat Konstantin Gavrilov as saying on Russian television.

Gavrilov, a senior security negotiator, also said that after the call Moscow I was waiting for a clarification on the nuclear deterrence exercises being carried out by the I’LL TAKETASS added.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said it was the best opportunity for the two sides to talk, without elaborating. She did not say if any other talks between the two were scheduled.

the president of UkraineVolodymyr Zelensky on Friday urged the West to warn Russia not to destroy a dam in southern Ukraine, which would cause severe flooding.

Russia has accused Ukraine of blowing up the dam and plotting its destruction. The representatives of Kiev they saw it as a sign that Russia might blow it up and blame Ukraine.

Neither side has presented evidence to support their accusations.

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