Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at a news rundown at the Pentagon on July 20, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia.
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WASHINGTON– Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin consulted with his Russian equivalent Friday early morning, the 2nd recognized call given that the Kremlin’s full-blown intrusion of Ukraine in late February.
Pentagon press secretary Air ForceBrig Gen Pat Ryder stated Austin consulted with Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu by phone. The Kremlin likewise verified the call in a different readout.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated he consulted with Austin in a different call. Reznikov stated the 2 gone over extra air defense systems in approaching U.S. security help bundles for Ukraine’s battle.
“Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine,” according to thePentagon The last recognized circumstances of the 2 leaders speaking remained in May.
The call comes as the war enters its ninth month and as Ukraine continues a sensational counteroffensive to retake more of Russian- inhabited area in the east and south.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (C) fulfill soldiers throughout a go to at a basic training centre of the Western Military District for set in motion reservists, outside the town of Ryazan on October 20, 2022.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken traded barbs last month with his Russian equivalent throughout a U.N. Security Council conference. Blinken pointed out reputable reports of Russian forces devoting war criminal offenses inUkraine America’s leading diplomat detailed the grisly discovery of mass graves in the Ukrainian cities of Izyum and Bucha
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the claims and positioned the blame for civilian deaths onUkraine He likewise blamed the United States, France and Germany for not holding Ukraine liable for the supposed atrocities.
In current days, Moscow has actually upped the ante with numerous ravaging rocket and drone strikes versus what Kyiv stated were civilian targets and vital facilities such as energy centers. Ukraine has actually likewise implicated Russia of utilizing Iranian drones in its prevalent and indiscriminate attacks. Tehran and Moscow have actually consistently rejected the supposed arms transfers.
Following the fresh drone strikes, the United States, Britain and France raised the ramifications of such Iranian arms transfers to Russia in a closed-door U.N. Security Council conference.
The 3 countries– likewise members of the initial 2015 Iran nuclear offer– state that by offering Russia with drones, Iran has actually broken a U.N. Security Council resolution. The resolution, called 2231, restricts the transfer “of all items, materials, equipment and goods and technology” from Iran to another country unless it is authorized ahead of time by the U.N. Security Council on a case-by-case basis.
Iran’s U.N. agent, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, informed press reporters on Wednesday following the U.N. Security Council conference that such transfers are “outside the scope” of the 2015 resolution and for that reason Tehran has actually not broken its dedications.
He likewise pointed out Tehran’s neutrality in the Ukraine dispute and repeated immediate require a resolution to the war.
“Iran has consistently advocated for peace and the immediate end to the conflict in Ukraine,” Iravani stated.
He included that the claims are “unfounded and unsubstantiated” and stated that the West was installing a disinformation project versus his nation. Iravani, who took no concerns from press reporters, likewise stated the claims were “disappointing.”
Meanwhile, Dmitry Polyanskiy, very first deputy long-term agent of Russia to the United Nations, informed press reporters that the drones discovered in Ukraine are not Iranian however Russian- made.
He stated that pictures of the drones downed in Ukraine plainly have Russian engravings on them. He included, however, that he is not a drone professional and might not elaborate even more.
