After a U.S. military drone was clipped by a Russian jet over the Black Sea on Tuesday, Vladimir Putin's officials warned Washington that it risked escalation.
What Happened: On Wednesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin and their military chiefs held a rare telephone call as the relations between the two countries hit their lowest point in decades amid Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
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Shoigu told Austin that U.S. drone flights by Crimea’s coast “were provocative in nature” and could lead to “an escalation…in the Black Sea zone,” the Russian ministry said in a statement.
Russia “had no interest in such a development but will in future react in due proportion,” it added. It added that the two countries should “act with a maximum of responsibility,” including by having military lines of communication in a crisis.
Crimea was part of Ukraine and was annexed by force in 2014 by Moscow.
Meanwhile, the U.S. side refused to offer any details of the call but Austin reiterated at a news conference that Washington intended to continue flying where international law allowed. He also demanded that Russian military aircraft operate in a safe and professional manner.
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