Russian, US defence chiefs discussed lowering escalation in call, says Moscow

MOSCOW - Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin held a telephone call where they discussed lowering the risk of “possible escalation”, the Russian defence ministry said on July 12.

The call, which was initiated by Moscow, comes as tensions between the two sides flare over

Washington’s plan to deploy long-range missiles

in Germany, a decision the Kremlin warned could spell a return to Cold War-style confrontation.

“The issue of preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation was discussed,” Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement on the talks.

According to Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, Mr Austin “emphasised the importance of maintaining lines of communication” during the conversation.

The two sides have managed to organise sporadic phone calls despite raging tensions over

Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine,

including a recent call at the end of June where Moscow chided Washington’s arms supplies to Kyiv.

The White House announced on July 10 during a Nato summit that it would station long-range weapons including Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany as a deterrent.

The Kremlin criticised the move, accusing Washington of taking a step towards a new “Cold War” and of directly participating in the conflict in Ukraine. AFP