The spokesman for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colonel Dave Butler, said that the two chiefs of staff “discussed many security issues of concern,” noting that, as was their custom, they agreed not to publish the content of what transpired between them.
This is not the first time that the two generals have had phone conversations, but their conversations are rare, as the last phone conversation that took place between them dates back to November 23, and also focused on Russian military movements near Ukraine.
Before that, the two generals met in Finland in September, where, according to Moscow, they discussed ways to avoid accidents between their armies.
Butler said that on Friday Milley made phone calls to a number of his European counterparts, the French, Canadian, German, Italian, Polish, Romanian and British chiefs of staff.
He added that these talks focused in particular on “the ongoing coordination during the adjustment of the US military position in Europe,” as the United States decided to send 3,000 additional troops to Poland in the coming days.
US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, are scheduled to speak by phone, Saturday morning, EST, according to a senior White House official.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken assured his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, during a phone call on Friday, the United States’ “firm” support for Ukraine “in the face of the acute and growing threat” of a Russian invasion.
In a statement, the State Department said Blinken told Kuleba that Ukraine continues to “benefit from the United States’ enduring and unwavering support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
