The U.S. and Russian defense ministers -- Lloyd Austin and Sergei Shoigu -- discussed the current situation in Ukraine in a phone call on October 21 that the Pentagon said was aimed at keeping the lines of communication open.
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"Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement following the phone call.
Austin spoke separately with his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksiy Reznikov, "to reiterate the unwavering U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine's ability to counter Russia's aggression," Ryder said in another statement later on October 21.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Defense said Austin initiated the call with Shoigu and said October 21 offered the best opportunity for the two sides to speak but did not explain why that was the case. She did not say whether any additional talks were scheduled between the two.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Telegram that "actual topics on international security, including the situation in Ukraine, were discussed."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would maintain contacts with Russia but said that any broader diplomacy depended on President Vladimir Putin showing an interest in stopping the aggression.
"We have seen no evidence of that in this moment. On the contrary, we see Russia doubling and tripling down on its aggression," Blinken told a joint news conference with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.
Blinken pointed to Russia's recent attacks on power stations and other civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and the mobilization of troops who Blinken said were being treated as "cannon fodder that Putin is trying to throw into the war."
The fundamental difference in the war is Ukrainians are "fighting for their country, their land, their future. Russia is not and the sooner President Putin understands that and comes to that conclusion, the sooner we will be able to end this war," Blinken said.
The call was the second between Shoigu and Austin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Their last call took place on May 13, a few days before a phone call between the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, and his U.S. counterpart, General Mark Milley.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have sunk to new lows since the start of the invasion, with Russia accusing the United States of seeking to prolong the conflict by providing financial and military aid and with Washington imposing broad sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that he saw "no need" for an in-person meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.