Amidst rising tensions between Russia and the United States, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin held a phone call on Friday to discuss ways to reduce the risk of potential escalation. The call, initiated by Moscow, comes in the wake of Washington’s announcement to deploy long-range missiles in Germany, a move that the Kremlin has warned could lead to a return to Cold War-style confrontation.
The Russian defence ministry, in a statement about the talks, confirmed that the issue of preventing security threats and mitigating the risk of escalation was a key topic of discussion. This phone call marks another instance of communication between the two sides despite heightened tensions fueled by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Notably, a similar phone call took place at the end of June where Moscow criticized Washington’s continued arms supplies to Kyiv.
The White House’s announcement during a NATO summit on Wednesday regarding the deployment of long-range weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, in Germany, has been met with strong criticism from the Kremlin. Moscow has accused Washington of taking a step towards a new Cold War and directly participating in the conflict in Ukraine. This recent development has further exacerbated tensions between the two superpowers, prompting the need for dialogue and potential de-escalation measures.
