U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu against escalating tensions around Ukraine and called on him to withdraw Russian troops from the Ukrainian border to their permanent bases.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the phone call between the two ministers took place on Friday, Ukrinform reports.
“On February 18, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu. Secretary Austin called for deescalation, the return of Russian forces surrounding Ukraine to their home bases, and a diplomatic resolution,” the Pentagon said in a press release.
As was reported earlier, Russia continues to mass more than 150,000 troops around Ukraine’s borders. According to U.S. intelligence, the Kremlin is increasing capabilities for a large-scale invasion, but there is still no information that Putin has decided to attack Ukraine. Meanwhile, the United States and NATO are continuing to strengthen Ukraine’s and Allies’ defenses on the eastern flank in response to threats from Russia.
Austin is on a visit to Poland on Friday, February 18. In a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart, the Pentagon chief said that the entire North Atlantic Alliance supports Ukraine, as well as the country’s right to follow its chosen path.
© 2022 Ukrinform News
If Lloyd would be our president the idiots would already be starting to pack!
Time to move our navy and air force to Europe to stabilize the security situation. There’s growing fears in eastern european Nato members.
Pull out all of our troops from the shithole Germany and send them to Ukraine. That would be a decisive measure, one that the rat understands.
Our boyz were already crying when we sent some of them to Poland. They love being in the german shithole. Unlike myself.
Of course, they have a functiong American-style infrastructure on US bases in Germanystan and maybe friends and girlfriends, and so it’s understandable. But, such is the military and they will have to live with such spontaneous measures, otherwise they are in the wrong job field.
Why does he have to repeat the same lame garbage that we’ve been hearing for weeks? If there are no harsh consequences, it’s a total waste of time to say ANYTHING. When will Washington grasp this simple fact?