Russian general makes rare call to top US military leader

 

Russia's top general, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, contacted Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. last week amid a shifting conflict in Ukraine. This marked their first conversation since Gen. Brown assumed his role, replacing Gen. Mark Milley, who last spoke with Gerasimov in October 2022.

During the call, initiated by Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the two generals discussed global and regional security issues, including the escalating war in Ukraine. According to a Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey, Gen. Brown agreed not to proactively announce the discussion at Gerasimov's request.

The conversation occurred as tensions escalated following Russia's launch of an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The missile struck a weapons facility in Dnipro, Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the launch as a response to Ukraine’s use of longer-range U.S.- and U.K.-supplied missiles. Gerasimov reportedly told Brown that the missile’s use had been planned before the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to employ American Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for deeper strikes into Russian territory.

Putin criticized Western involvement, claiming, “The regional conflict in Ukraine, previously provoked by the West, has acquired elements of a global character.” He also justified developing intermediate- and shorter-range missiles as a counter to U.S. plans to deploy similar systems in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has continued robust support for Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $725 million in military aid for the country. However, uncertainty surrounds the policy direction under President-elect Donald Trump.

 Reports indicate his advisers have explored proposals that could pressure Ukraine into ceding territory to Russia as a means to initiate peace negotiations. These strategies reportedly involve leveraging threats of increased or withdrawn aid to push both sides toward a resolution.