US, Russian defense ministers speak for second time in less than month, Pentagon says

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov spoke for a second time in just over two weeks on Friday amid tensions over the war in Ukraine, the Pentagon said.

The call was initiated by Russia, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told a news briefing. Austin emphasized the importance of keeping open lines of communication during the Ukraine conflict, more than two years after Russia’s full scale invasion, Singh said.

Singh declined to provide further details on the call.