Pentagon says Russian colleagues reject their calls

Senior Russian military officials have been turning down calls from their American counterparts even before the Ukraine crisis escalated.

Over the past month, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley have been and continue to seek telephone conversations with their Russian counterparts. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov have so far refused to participate in the talks, said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

Austin last spoke to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on February 18. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, last spoke to Gerasimov on 11 February.