Russian Defense Minister Discusses a Situation in Ukraine with Pentagon Chief
New Delhi: The situation in Ukraine was among the topics discussed by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin over the phone, the Russian defense ministry said on Friday.
“Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had telephone talks with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the initiative of the American side. The sides discussed current issues of international security, including the situation in Ukraine,” the ministry said.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said earlier that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov were refusing to speak with the Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley over the phone.
The previous telephone call between Shoigu and Austin took place on February 18.
On February 24 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine. The West retaliated by imposing sanctions on Russia while private companies suspended operations in the country or terminated investments. The United States, members of NATO and the European Union, as well as many other countries, strongly condemned Moscow’s actions. US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against several large Russian banks, namely, VTB, Otkritie, Novikombank, and one private bank, Sovcombank.
(Vinayak)
