Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have a phone conversation, Russian MoD informs.
“On 25 June 2024, at the initiative of the American side Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a phone conversation.
The defence ministers shared their views on the situation in Ukraine.
Andrei Belousov pointed out the danger of further escalation due to continued supply of U.S. weapons to the AFU.
Other issues were also discussed.”
Pentagon chief speaks with new Russian defense minister. The phone discussion took place after a Ukrainian missile exploded over a packed beach in Crimea, writes RT.
The Russian and US defense chiefs spoke over the phone on Tuesday to discuss the need to maintain communication despite the standoff between the two nuclear powers. It was Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s first direct conversation with Andrey Belousov, who replaced Sergey Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister last month.
Austin “emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said in the readout of the call.
The Russian MOD released a short statement, saying Austin and Belousov “exchanged views about the situation around Ukraine.” Belousov warned the Pentagon chief about “the dangers of further escalation in terms of the continuing deliveries of American weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
The conversation took place two days after four beachgoers, including two children, were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on Crimea.
Moscow condemned Kiev’s “barbaric” attack, which also injured more than 150 people, saying Ukraine had used US-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles with cluster munitions. The MOD also accused the US of helping Kiev pick the targets for the missile strikes.
“We understand perfectly well who is behind this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Russia knows well who is behind attack on Crimea, who aims missiles — Kremlin. “It is not the Ukrainians who provide for these launches,” Dmitry Peskov said.
Russia understands that it is not Kiev that targets missiles and ensures their launches, although it certainly takes part in the process, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told a news briefing, TASS informs.
“We’ve seen an absolutely barbaric missile attack in Crimea,” the Kremlin spokesman said. “We understand perfectly well who is behind it, who targets these technically sophisticated missiles. It is not the Ukrainians who provide for these launches.”
“Definitely,” Peskov added, responding to an elaborative question whether Kiev was also involved in the attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier noted that such high-tech systems as, for example, ATACMS missiles, were not serviced by Ukrainian personnel: the manufacturer of these systems – the US – was in charge of intelligence, guidance and target setting.
An attack on Crimea’s civilian infrastructure with ATACMS tactical missiles armed with cluster warheads was carried out on June 23. Four missiles were shot down, but the fifth exploded over the city.
According to Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev, the attack killed four people, including two children. More than 150 others were injured.
The Investigative Committee has launched criminal proceedings over an act of terrorism.
The US had previously authorized Kiev to use some of the Western weapons supplied to it for strikes deep into Russian territory during Moscow’s new offensive in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region.
Moscow has maintained, however, that no amount of foreign aid can change the ultimate outcome of the conflict.
Russia does not yet see any conditions for normalizing dialogue with the West despite French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks on the possibility of interaction with Moscow, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news briefing, TASS informs.
“So far, except for such hesitant statements, regretfully, we do not see any conditions for normalizing dialogue,” the Kremlin official said, noting that the atmosphere of trust between Russia and the West has been shattered.
Peskov noted that restoring ties is “a matter of time.” “It all depends on the stance of our counterparts,” he stressed
Der Friedensstifter 