Russian, US defence chiefs discussed lowering escalation in call: Moscow 

MOSCOW, July 13: Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin held a telephone call where they discussed lowering the risk of "possible escalation", the Russian defence ministry said on Friday.
The call, which was initiated by Moscow, comes as tensions between the two sides flare over Washingtons plan to deploy long-range missiles in Germany, a decision the Kremlin warned could spell a return to Cold War-style confrontation.
"The issue of preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation was discussed," Russias defence ministry said in a statement on the talks. 
According to Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, Austin "emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication" during the conversation.    —AFP