Pentagon Chief Speaks With Russian Counterpart, First Time in Over a Year

The Defense Department announced Secretary Lloyd Austin held a phone call with Andrei Belousov, his Russian counterpart, on Tuesday. Austin has not spoken with a Russian defense minister since his call with Belousov’s predecessor more than a year ago. Both sides acknowledged that the Pentagon chief initiated the contact. This appears to be an effort by Austin to ease tensions over the Ukraine proxy war. Following the firing of an American missile by Kiev’s forces which killed Russians in Crimea, Moscow has vowed a response.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters about the call during a briefing but would not share details beyond saying “the secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.” He refused to answer questions regarding how long the call lasted, why it took place, and the current state of communication between Washington and Moscow.

A Russian Defense Ministry statement, however, reads, “A US-initiated phone call between [Belousov] and [Austin] took place on June 25, 2024. The ministers exchanged views on the situation around Ukraine.” The statement continued, “Belousov highlighted the danger of further escalation due to continued US weapons supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces. The parties also discussed other issues.”

Austin has not spoken to a Russian defense minister since March last year, when Austin held a phone call with Sergei Shoigu after escalations occurred over the Black Sea between US and Russian aircraft. This latest call comes in the immediate wake of an attack on the city of Sevastopol over the weekend which, according to Moscow, saw US-provided ATACMS missiles hit civilian infrastructure.  Four Russians were killed, including two children, and more than 150 people were wounded. In Moscow, US Ambassador Lynne Tracy was summoned by Russia’s Foreign Ministry where she was met with outrage over the Sunday strike.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said US and Ukrainian involvement in the “terrorist” attack was beyond doubt. The foreign ministry claimed US intelligence was used to coordinate the bombing, adding a US drone was operating nearby. The ministry also stated Washington “has effectively become a party” to the war and threatened “retaliatory measures.”

Earlier last week, the White House authorized Kiev to fire US-supplied long-range missiles into Crimea and the Russian mainland along the border anywhere troops may attempt an attack. More specifically, this includes anywhere within 100 kilometers, 62 miles, of Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv Oblasts. Throughout the war, Kiev has attacked Crimea with NATO weaponry.

Since this latest Crimea bombing, the Ukrainian government, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, demanded its NATO backers allow deeper strikes into Russian territory with Western arms. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the Washington-led military alliance “should be aware of what they are playing with.” Moscow has repeatedly stated that if their territory is hit with weapons supplied by a NATO member, they have the right to respond in kind to similar facilities belonging to those states both in Ukraine and “beyond.”

Connor Freeman is the assistant editor and a writer at the Libertarian Institute, primarily covering foreign policy. He is a co-host on the Conflicts of Interest podcast. His writing has been featured in media outlets such as Antiwar.com, Counterpunch, and the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. He has also appeared on Liberty Weekly, Around the Empire, and Parallax Views. You can follow him on Twitter @FreemansMind96.