US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said he has been trying to contact Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu since February, APA reports.
Speaking at the hearings in the Senate, the Defense Minister noted that his attempts failed.
He noted that in mid-February, together with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, they tried to keep in touch with their Russian counterparts on a regular basis to ensure the continuation of the dialogue.
He added that they had not made much progress on this issue.
"Because the Russians do not respond," said Lloyd Austin.