Belousov discusses Ukraine war with US Secretary of Defense

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin spoke by telephone on Tuesday about the war in Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Belousov and Austin “exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine” and noted that the conversation took place “at the initiative of the American side.”

“Andrey Belousov pointed to the danger of further escalation of the situation in connection with the continued supply of US weapons to the armed forces of Ukraine,” it continued. “Other topics were also discussed.”

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder confirmed the fact that the call took place. In a statement, he said Austin “stressed the importance of maintaining communication channels in light of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.”

Ryder said it was Austin’s first phone call with Belousov, who was appointed by President Vladimir Putin in May.

Russia has condemned the United States for its continued military support of Ukraine, and Washington recently gave Kyiv the green light to use its long-range missiles against parts of Russian territory.

On Monday, the Kremlin warned the United States of “consequences” and summoned its ambassador after Moscow said four people were killed in a Ukrainian attack using a US missile on the annexed Crimea.

Ryder said at the time that the Ukrainians would make “their own decisions” about where to launch their attacks.