Russia Ukraine war, page-226698

June 26. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov discussed the situation around Ukraine in a phone call initiated by Washington, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"A US-initiated phone call between Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin took place on June 25, 2024. The ministers exchanged views on the situation around Ukraine," the statement reads.

"Belousov highlighted the danger of further escalation due to continued US weapons supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces. The parties also discussed other issues," the ministry pointed out.

This was the first conversation between Belousov and Austin. The phone call took place after a Ukrainian attack on civilian infrastructure in the city of Sevastopol, which involved ATACMS missiles and killed four people, including two children, leaving over 150 injured. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that US and Ukrainian involvement in the terrorist attack on Sevastopol was beyond doubt.
https://tass.com/politics/1808467