Moscow. December 22. INTERFAX-AVN - Topical issues of international security were discussed on Wednesday during telephone talks between Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces Mark Milli, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
"On December 22, 2021, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, General Mark Milli, had a telephone conversation, during which the military leaders discussed topical issues of international security," the message says.
The details of the negotiations of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation were not reported.
The American media, citing a statement by Milli's representative, reported that the military leaders discussed issues of concern related to regional security.
The previous telephone conversations between Gerasimov and Milli took place on November 23.
The current negotiations took place against the background of Moscow's proposal to the United States and NATO to work out strong agreements that exclude the advance of the North Atlantic Alliance to the east and the deployment of new weapons in the immediate vicinity of the territory of the Russian Federation.
Earlier, the United States, other NATO countries and Ukraine announced the concentration of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border.
On December 9, Gerasimov said that Russia does not plan to invade the territory of Ukraine.
"NATO countries pay excessive attention to the movement of troops on the territory of the Russian Federation. The redeployment of units during combat training is a routine practice for the armed forces of any State. Military activity is carried out on national territory and does not require notification," Gerasimov said at a briefing for foreign military attaches.
"The information spread in the media about Russia's alleged invasion of Ukraine is a lie," Gerasimov said at the time.
