Russian Defense Minister Warns US of Escalation Risk in Ukraine

Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said Secretary Austin initiated the call, the first between the leaders of the US and Russian defense departments since March 2023. Mr. Belousov was appointed Russian defense minister in May.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

According to Reuters, the two sides talked about many topics during the phone call on June 25, including the importance of maintaining communication channels and the Ukraine conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that Minister Belousov warned his counterpart about the dangers of continuing to supply weapons to Ukraine. "Minister Belousov pointed out the risk of further escalation of the situation through continued supplies of US weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces," the Russian side said in a statement.

Conflict Point: Ukraine Changes General Again; Russia Loses Its "Eye in the Sky" Because of Patriot

Over the weekend, Moscow accused the United States of being responsible for a Ukrainian attack in Crimea, when five ATACMS missiles provided by Washington were launched, killing four people and injuring more than 150. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on June 24 that the involvement of the United States and Ukraine in the attack was certain.

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that only high-level specialists could select the final target and flight mission based on intelligence. The leader stressed that this could be done without the participation of the Ukrainian military, but entirely by NATO servicemen.

On the other hand, the Pentagon spokesman affirmed that the US has no plans to send troops to Ukraine at present or in the future. "The President (Joe Biden) is absolutely certain that he will not send US troops to Ukraine. I will not comment on any reports of internal discussions or proposals that may be under consideration," Mr. Ryder said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-truong-quoc-phong-nga-canh-bao-my-ve-nguy-co-leo-thang-tai-ukraine-185240626070252909.htm