Statement on the Chief of the Defence Staff’s call with the Russian Chief of the General Staff

At the request of the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, spoke with his Russian counterpart, General of the Army Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov, this afternoon.

The Chief of the Defence Staff rejected Russia’s allegations that Ukraine is planning actions to escalate the conflict, and he restated the UK’s enduring support for Ukraine.

The military leaders both agreed on the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the UK and Russia to manage the risk of miscalculation and to facilitate de-escalation.

The conversation followed the Defence Secretary’s call with his Russian counterpart yesterday and a call between the Foreign Ministers of France, the UK, and the USA last night.