US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley spoke with his Ukrainian and UK counterparts to discuss security concerns in Eastern Europe, Joint Staff spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said on Thursday (local time). “Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark A Milley spoke with Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Lt Gen Valery Zaluzhny today by telephone,” Butler said in a statement. “The military leaders continued to exchange perspectives and assessments of the security environment in Eastern Europe. The Chairman once again reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement added.
In a separate release, Butler said Milley also had a telephone call with British Chief of the Defence Staff Adm. Tony Radakin to continue discussions on the regional security environment. Earlier in the day, Milley had a telephone call with Belarus’ General Staff of the Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Viktor Gulevich to discuss European security matters including opportunities to reduce a miscalculation as Russia and Belarus conduct joint military exercises in the region.
According to Sputnik News Agency, Moscow published its security suggestions for NATO and the United States in late 2021 as tensions rose around Ukraine. Moscow specifically requested guarantees that NATO would not expand eastward to include Ukraine and Georgia, to which Washington has replied by insisting it will not allow anyone to slam NATO’s open-door policy shut, according to the media outlet.
The US and NATO have submitted their responses to the proposals, which Moscow is still analyzing before deciding on the next step, it added.
