Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at a news briefing at the Pentagon on July 20, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. The call comes as the war enters its ninth month and as Ukraine continues a stunning counteroffensive to retake more of Russian-occupied territory in the east and south. "Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine," according to the Pentagon. WASHINGTON – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart Friday morning, the second known call since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traded barbs last month with his Russian counterpart during a U.N. Security Council meeting.

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