US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov on Tuesday, the Pentagon reported. The Russian Defense Ministry wrote on Telegram that the two sides “exchanged views on the war in Ukraine.” Patrick Boulder, a defense specialist from the Hague Center for Strategic Studies, describes the return of contact between the two camps as “good news.”

On Monday, the Russian government threatened the United States with “repercussions” after the Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed. This attack was carried out with American missiles. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Of course, the direct involvement of the United States in the attacks that led to the deaths of Russian citizens cannot remain without consequences.”

Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said Austin stressed during the call Tuesday the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. He did not provide further details about the phone conversation. Boulder spoke of the “good news” that the call was resumed. “A conversation like that gives you some peace of mind. So there won’t be random shots fired from the hip.”

escalation

Moscow said Belousov pointed to the growing risk of an escalation of the war amid continued US arms supplies to Ukraine. The ministry added that other issues were discussed, without naming them.

This was the first time the two had spoken to each other. The last time Austin spoke to his Russian counterpart was in March 2023. At that time, Sergei Shoigu was still defense minister.