The D Brief: More US-Russian meetings?; Quad’s first confab; Aussie sub timeline; Marines cancel marathon; And a bit more...
By Bradley Peniston, Jennifer Hlad and Ben Watson
September 24, 2021 11:50 AM ET
The D Brief
U.S. military leaders should meet more with Russian counterparts, Milley says. This would help reduce tension and make miscalculations less likely in times of crisis, Gen. Mark Milley, Joint Chiefs chairman, told reporters on the way home from his meeting in Finland with Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff.
Currently, U.S.-Russian military contacts are “largely limited to senior leaders such as the defense secretary, the chairman, and the supreme allied commander for Europe,” AP reported. “But he said the U.S. might look into allowing the military service chiefs to form stronger relationships with their Russian counterparts—which is currently not allowed.”
Milley also suggested that the two militaries might try allowing observers to watch each others’ exercises. “We might not do it, but we should at least take a look at it,” he said.
The chairman declined to say what he and Gerasimov discussed during their six-hour meeting. A Joint Chiefs statement said, “both sides seek increased transparency to reduce misunderstanding and increase stability.”
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/09/d-brief-more-us-russian-meetings-quads-first-confab-aussie-sub-timeline-marines-cancel-marathon-and-bit-more/185597/
