Washington (AP) In an unusual conversation amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, Russia’s top military general contacted his U.S. counterpart Thursday to warn him in advance of Russia’s drills in the Mediterranean Sea, authorities said.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on Nov. 27, Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, received a message from Gen. Valery Gerasimov, head of Russia’s General Staff, alerting him about a planned Russian naval drill that would involve missile launches in the eastern Mediterranean.
According to a statement from the ministry, the information was sent to avoid any potential confrontations given the presence of NATO and American vessels close to the Russian training area.
As previously reported by the ministry, two frigates practiced launching new hypersonic Zircon cruise missiles and a submarine fired Kalibr cruise missiles during the three-day Russian navy exercises that concluded Tuesday. Additionally, Russian forces used a ground launcher to fire an Onyx missile at a mock sea target as part of the exercises.
In their first call since Brown took over as chairman in October 2023, the Pentagon said Brown and Gerasimov talked about a variety of regional and international security concerns, including the war in Ukraine. Gerasimov told Brown about the live-fire drill, but he didn’t go into detail about the weapons systems that would be employed.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, met with two top Trump administration officials in an attempt to secure President-elect Donald Trump’s vital support for Ukraine.
According to a person familiar with the conversation, Yermak was in the United States on Wednesday for discussions with Republican Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice for his national security advisor, and retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, whom Trump has designated as an envoy for Ukraine. The individual talked on condition of anonymity and was not permitted to discuss the issue in public.
Details of the session were not immediately provided by either party. Before Trump takes office on January 20, 2025, advisors to the president are meeting with foreign officials on a number of occasions.
Trump, who has long admired Russian President Vladimir Putin, has called for an immediate end to Russia’s war against Ukraine’s Western-aligned government, which has lasted for almost three years. He has not provided many specifics about his plans.
In order to get the best conditions possible in any future ceasefire discussions, Ukrainians and many of their supporters believe that the United States will continue to provide military and diplomatic support.
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