The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said on Monday that his country has resumed contacts with Russia, in the military field, to prevent an escalation between the two countries. At a joint press conference with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Milley explained that he and the Pentagon chief are focused on avoiding a possible escalation with Russia and are managing all risks.
“We have I have reopened communications at the military level and have called my Russian counterpart“, said Milley, who did not want to offer details about the content of the conversation. However, the chief of the US General Staff indicated that it is a “significant” step and that “it is worth it”. Thus, Milley stressed again America’s commitment to Ukraine.
On the other hand, Lloyd Austin advanced that “many countries” have informed the United States that they will deliver artillery ammunition to kyiv, coastal defense systems, tanks and armored vehicles of all kinds. The head of the General Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, indicated a few days ago that in order to defeat Russia he needs military supplies from the West “urgently”.
Without going into too much detail, Austin especially thanked Denmark for providing Ukraine with a launcher for harpoons and missiles to defend its coast and the Czech Republic for its “substantial support,” which includes helicopters, armored cars and rockets. He also named the countries of Italy, Greece, Norway and Poland. Austin has indicated that he was “pleased” after the meeting, seeing that allies’ efforts to help kyiv are intensifying.
The statements are part of the second meeting of the “Ukrainian Defense Contact Group”, which was attended electronically by representatives of a total of 47 countries to talk about military assistance to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials such as Defense Minister Oleksii Réznikov, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Yevhen Moisiuk, and a representative of Military Intelligence joined this second appointment.
US forces in Europe have increased 30% since the start of the war
Regarding those needs, Austin explained that there have been no major differences compared to the last meeting of the contact group. “They are more or less the samejust like the last time we talked they need long range fire; armored, such as tanks and personnel carriers; and drone capabilities“, said the head of the Pentagon, who assured that it is a war where artillery is an essential component.
Milley took advantage of the press conference to list the military forces that Washington has deployed in Europe because of the war in Ukraine: the European Command of the US Armed Forces. has increased by 30% in the last few months (before the invasion of Russia they had 78,000 soldiers in Europe, today they have 102,000 troops). In addition, he pointed out that the United States has 15,000 sailors divided between the Mediterranean and the Baltic, 12 fighter-bomber squadrons and two combat aviation brigades. On the other hand, his infantry has six brigade combat teams, two divisions and two corps.