US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu to keep “lines of communication” open on the war in Ukraine, a spokesman said.  “Secretary Austin emphasised the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine,” Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement following their phone call. Russia also confirmed the call — the second between the two officials since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24. In his last call with Shoigu on May 13, Austin urged Moscow to implement an “immediate ceasefire” in Ukraine. Russia did not do so, and Kyiv’s forces have since regained swathes of territory from Moscow’s troops in the east and south of the country.

Washington says Iranian trainers on ground helping Moscow with drone attacks Relations between Moscow and Washington have sunk to new lows since the start of the war. Russia has accused the US of seeking to prolong the conflict by providing financial and military aid to pro-Western Ukraine, while Washington has condemned Moscow’s invasion as illegal. Austin also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov “to reiterate the unwavering US commitment to supporting Ukraine’s ability to counter Russia’s aggression”, Ryder said in a separate statement on Friday. The defense secretary “underscored the international community’s continued support in building Ukraine’s enduring strength and safeguarding Ukraine’s ability to defend itself in the future,” the statement said.

The United States has said Iranian military trainers were in Crimea helping Russian forces operate Iranian-made drones to attack targets in Ukraine, adding that an alarming strand to a war that has heightened geopolitical tensions. Ukrainian citizens endured the first day of nationwide scheduled power outages since the war began eight months ago so repairs could be made to damaged or destroyed energy plants as winter approaches. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has used the southern peninsula to train soldiers and reopen Soviet-era military bases as part of the invasion of its neighbour. There was no immediate public reaction from Tehran to the US accusations, but Iran has denied the drones are Iranian-made. Russia has also denied using Iranian drones in Ukraine. Russia’s defence and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP