The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austinhe asked his Russian counterpart on Friday, Sergei Shoiguan “immediate” ceasefire in Ukraine, but the call between the two could not resolve “any serious problem”, the Pentagon said.
Austin “urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication,” the Department of Defense said.
The two ministers spoke “for the first time since February 18”, a few days before the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, he added, without giving more details of the conversation.
According to a senior Pentagon official, “the call itself did not solve any serious problems or lead to direct changes in what the Russians do or say.”
In a very brief statement, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the call took place at the initiative “of the American side” and that both leaders “discussed current issues of international security, including the situation in Ukraine.”
The call comes as the advance of Russian forces in Donbas against Ukrainian troops is several weeks behind the Kremlin’s plans, according to Washington.
But Moscow has shown no signs of slowing down or retreating and, according to Western intelligence, wants to gain control of much of Ukraine’s territory, in the south and east of the country.
Finland and Sweden this week expressed their desire to join the NATOa direct consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is not a member of the Atlantic Alliance.