U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III held phone talks with Ukraine’s Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov on January 13
During the phone conversation, both sides discussed Russia’s ongoing and unprovoked military buildup in and around Ukraine.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense release, “Secretary Austin reaffirmed unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including ongoing efforts to build the capacity of Ukraine’s forces through the provision of defensive assistance.”
The defense leaders of both countries also expressed support for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and share commitment to continuing their close coordination.
Earlier on January 10, the U.S. and Russian representatives met in Geneva to hold talks on Russia’s military buildup and de-escalation of tension. However, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said that “there was no commitment to de-escalation” from the Russian side.
The U.S. official also stated that it is still unclear whether Russia intends to use the ongoing dialogues as a pretext to claim that diplomacy cannot work.
On January 12, NATO partners and Russia also met in Brussels to discuss Ukraine and European security issues.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the meeting as “not an easy discussion”, but highlighted that this “is exactly why this meeting was so important”.
During the January 12 meeting, NATO allies made clear to the Russian side that “they will not renounce their ability to protect and defend each other. Including with presence of troops in the eastern part of the Alliance,” Stoltenberg said.
