Senior military commanders from Russia and the United States speak for the first time since the beginning of the war

The Chiefs of Staff of USA Y Russia They spoke on the phone this Thursday, in their first direct conversation since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Pentagon announced.

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Mark Milley and Valeri Gerasimov, Generals in Chief of USA Y Russia, respectively, “discussed various security concerns,” said the spokesman for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colonel Dave Butler. Both agreed not to divulge the content of their conversation.

According to a report by TV Zvezda, which is controlled by the Russian Defense Ministry, the call was made at Milley’s request and both senior military officials spoke about the situation in Ukraine.

The last time they had talked by phone was on February 11, when Washington publicly warned of Russian plans to invade Ukraine and hoped that its warnings would dissuade Moscow from going ahead, something that finally happened on February 24 with the advance of troops. in the neighboring country, according to the Pentagon.

“They hadn’t spoken since then until today,” said Commander Sean Riordan, a spokesman for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Secretary of Defense of USALloyd Austin, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held their first talks since the war began on May 13, and on the occasion Democratic President Joe Biden’s representative urged Moscow to implement a “ceasefire immediate”.

However, a Pentagon spokesman later noted that the call “did not specifically resolve any serious issues or lead to a direct change in what the Russians are doing or saying” around the Ukraine conflict.

The conversation comes as Washington is stepping up its support for Ukraine with funds and weapons, and Congress is expected to approve a new $40 billion aid package on Thursday.

Source: Elcomercio

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