US, Russia hold rare telephonic call, US eager to 'keep lines of communication open'

Defence secretaries of US and Russia Llyod Austin and Sergei Shoigu respectively held a rare telephonic talk on Friday after pro-Kremlin officials said they were turning Ukraine's southern city of Kherson into a "fortress" as Kyiv's forces advance.

The two countries confirmed the exchange adding that the situation in Ukraine was discussed by the secretaries.

"Topical issues of international security -- including the situation in Ukraine -- were discussed," said Russia's defence ministry.

The BBC reported that after the call, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told the news outlet, 'It has been since May since the two gentlemen spoke, so Secretary Austin took today as an opportunity to connect with Minister Shoigu.'

"Secretary Austin emphasised the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine," Ryder added.

In their previous phonecall Secretary Austin had urged his counterpart to implement an "immediate ceasefire".

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Heads of the two nations President Biden and Vladimir Putin have not spoken since Putin ordered a 'special military operation' in Ukraine on February 24.

The rare conversation between the defense ministers comes after Putin hinted that he may use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, as Biden warned him against it.

Putin and Biden last met in mid-2021 and held multiple calls before the war began in February this year where the US President had warned Putin to back off. The two leaders have not spoken since February and relations between the two nations have soured further.

In one of his recent speeches given last month, Putin called out the West accusing it of being colonial, when marking the annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

President Biden and President Putin are set to attend the G20 summit in Indonesia in November but have ininsuated that they will not meet, according to a BBC report.

with inputs from AFP