Containment of "Escalation Risk": Call Between Moscow and Washington

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and his American counterpart Lloyd Austin held phone discussions regarding the containment of a "potential escalation risk," according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense on Friday. The talks follow Washington's announcement two days prior about its intention to deploy long-range missiles in Germany. The ministry stated that the call was initiated by Moscow and involved discussions on the issue of avoiding security threats and containing the potential for escalation. The Russian news agency "Sputnik" quoted the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) stating that "the United States will not allow Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles for deep strikes on Russia," adding that this decision is subject to change.