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The Secretary of the United States Department of Defense, Austin Lloyd, has held a phone call with the Russian Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, the first conversation between the heads of these departments in more than a year.

According to a Pentagon statement, Austin stressed the importance of keeping the channels of communication open regarding the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Belousov conveyed to his US counterpart the “threats” of further escalation due to Washington’s continued supply of weapons to the Ukrainian military.

Recently, several of Ukraine’s allies, including the United States, have given Kiev permission to attack Russian territory with its weapons, something that had not been allowed until now, although it is a measure that has divided NATO members and the European Union.

Austin last spoke to the Russian defense minister on March 15, 2023, when the ministry was still headed by Sergei Shoigu, to discuss the incident in the waters of the Black Sea between a US drone and a Su 27 Russian fighter jet.