On May 15, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a new telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov. They discussed the situation on the battlefield and the current needs of Ukraine, Austin said on Twitter.
"I briefed him on my telephone conversation on May 14 with russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and reiterated our unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and security," Austin said.
Last week, the head of the Pentagon had his first conversation with the aggressor country's defense minister since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine had started.
During the conversation, Austin called on Shoigu to cease fire immediately in Ukraine and "stressed the importance of maintaining communication lines."
The russian Defense Ministry, in turn, said that "they discussed questions of international security, including the situation in Ukraine."