Russia’s Defence Ministry has reported that telephone talks have been held between Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley on topics of “mutual interest”.
The ministry has not elaborated further on what the exact topics of the discussions were, but in a recent interview, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu revealed that the two countries remain in contact on a daily basis on issues regarding Syria.
Last time Gerasimov and Milley spoke was on 4 October, with the spokesperson for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff stressing that regular communication between the two countries prevents misunderstanding and promotes transparency.
Talks With Turkey in Light of "Peace Spring" Operation
The Turkish Defence Ministry reported on the same day that Defence Minister Hulusi Akar held talks with his Russian counterpart Shoigu on 14 October in order to discuss the ongoing Turkish military operation in northern Syria, while two countries' chiefs of staff discussed recent developments.
Ankara started its "Operation Peace Spring" on 9 October despite protests from numerous countries worldwide. Turkey insists that it will target only terrorists, including groups linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party, saying that it will listen to no-one when it comes to domestic security issues.
