Russian, US defence chiefs discuss lowering escalation over phone call

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin held a telephone call where they discussed lowering the risk of "possible escalation", the Russian defence ministry said on Friday.

"The issue of preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation was discussed," Russia's defence ministry said in a statement on the talks.

According to Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, Austin "emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication" during the conversation.