On Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke on the phone for the first time with his Russian counterpart, Andrei Beloúsov, to whom he stressed the importance of keeping the lines of dialogue open.
The last time Austin spoke with a Russian defense minister was on March 15, 2023, when Sergei Shoigu held the post.
Austin emphasized to Beloúsov "the importance of maintaining the lines of dialogue in the midst of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine," Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said at a press conference, without giving further details of the conversation.
Beloúsov, an economics graduate, served the Russian government since 2020 as deputy prime minister, before taking over the defense ministry in mid-May.
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