US, UK defence chiefs discuss 'concerning' Russian military activity: Pentagon

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and his UK counterpart Ben Wallace discussed so-called concerning Russian military activity near Ukraine's border, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement.

"Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with UK Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace today regarding Russia's concerning military buildup on Ukraine's borders," Kirby said on Wednesday.

The two defence chiefs promised to support Ukraine and agreed to continue to closely coordinate on the matter, Kirby said.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have increased in the past several weeks amid an alleged Russian troop buildup at the Ukrainian border and claims of preparations for an invasion.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations, saying that Russia has the right to relocate troops within its territory at its own discretion, while NATO's military activity near Russian borders poses a threat to its security.

On December 17, Russia released proposals on security guarantees to NATO and the United States that seek to prevent the alliance's further expansion eastward and ban the deployment of US and Russian intermediate and short-range missiles within reach of each other's territory, among other items.

(ANI)

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