Austin connects with Shoygu First Time Since Feb

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday spoke with Russia's Sergey Shoygu, marking the first time the two have spoken since before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine began, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Austin “urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a readout of the call. 

The last time the two spoke was on Feb. 18, the Pentagon said.

A month into the invasion, the Pentagon acknowledged that Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley had unsuccessfully tried to engage with his counterparts.

Yesterday's call was initiated by Austin and lasted about an hour, a senior defense official told reporters. It was unclear what changed on the Russian side to engage in the call.

Austin also held a conversation with Ukrainian defense minister Oleksii Reznikov on Thursday, while Milley in his turn spoke with Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Pentagon on Friday also ordered the deployment of 10,500 troops to replace troops that have been previously deployed to Europe. 

The troops will be deployed “in the coming months,” press secretary John Kirby told reporters, adding the U.S.' force posture in Europe will remain unchanged. 

“These are not permanent moves,” Kirby said. “These moves are designed to respond to the current security environment. 

The U.S. has deployed and repositioned thousands of troops to bolster allies in Europe in February and March amid Russia’s aggressions toward Ukraine.  Most recently, Austin deployed additional aviation capabilities to the region, which totaled approximately 200 personnel, which brought the total number of US personnel in Europe to 100,000. 

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.