Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov "have so far declined to engage" in phone calls with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"Over the past month, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley have sought, and continue to seek, calls with their Russian counterparts. Minister Shoigu and General Gerasimov have so far declined to engage," Kirby said.
Relations between the two countries on the diplomatic front have deteriorated as well. Russia this week warned the U.S. that relations could be severed over President Biden calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and informed the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that it was expelling some diplomats.
U.S. officials said Secretary of State Antony Blinken has not communicated with his Russian counterpart either, but Kirby stated maintaining connections between defense officials in both countries is "critically importance at this time," according to the Post.
Comment: Too late. For weeks the US basically ignored Russia's deescalation proposals, and, with Ukraine talking about making a dirty bomb, amongst other attacks, Russia was eventually forced to take action, and the time for talking - likely US attempts to stall Russia's advance - will have to wait.
On Wednesday, the U.S. said it has officially determined that Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine, as thousands have died during the conflict — including hundreds of civilians with shelling of hospitals, arts centers and bomb shelters.
Comment: Russia has done nothing of the sort, it has gone out of its way to preserve civilian life and infrastructure. The US has had to 'officially' (unilaterally) make these statements because it has no proof and because the international community is not in agreement.
The U.S. has been careful not to take military actions that could escalate the war in Ukraine, such as imposing a no-fly zone over the country.
Comment: The US hasn't dared to impose a no-fly zone.
The U.S. has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian officials and companies while also providing hundreds of millions worth of arms to Ukraine's military, which has thus far held off Russian efforts to take major population centers.
Moreover, Western media has fomented a global psychotic hysteria, under which almost all Western companies operating in Russia - from Mercedes Benz to Ikea to Exxon to Apple - have ceased operations in Russia, throwing their employees out of work. Even during WWII , Ford factories in Germany continued to build trucks and cars for the German military, and were carefully excluded from British and American bombing raids. German chemical giant I.G. Farben continued to manufacture synthetic rubber for the German Army's tires, using patented processes licensed by Du Pont in America.
Moreover, all the world's Central Banks in which Russia has deposited its foreign currency reserves, about $300 billion of its total of $600 billion in reserves, have "frozen" - i.e., seized , Russia's money. Russia would be entirely justified to announce that the western countries who have done these things are considered by Russia to have legally declared war on Russia, but it does not reciprocate by declaring war on these vassal countries of the USA.
Moreover, all contracts for delivery of energy, all Russia's licenses to do business in Russia, all patents, trademarks, copyrights, and all tangible property, could be considered by Russia to be abandoned property, which will be seized by the Russian State in order to keep its workers employed. Russia would be entirely justified, for example, in continuing to build Mercedes cars in Russia, and sell them to India, China and the Middle East as Mercedes brand cars, and keep the money.
As usual, the West has rushed headlong into a virtual war on Russia, without pausing to consider the consequences of their actions. Russia, which produces 62% of the world's fertilizer, has placed a ban on those exports, and farmers all over the globe cannot get fertilizer for their crops which are supposed to be planted this year. Many farmers cannot make any profit without fertilizer, and will simply not plant crops this year. Others will harvest reduced crops, and consequently, the world is going to suffer excessive hunger and famine in 2022.
Titanium, which is necessary to build aircraft engines, from military aircraft to Boeing and Airbus passenger planes, will no longer be exported from Russia, the world's largest producer. Hundreds of thousands of Western workers building aircraft, and those building other components, from seats to windows to carpets, will be thrown out of work, since planes do not fly without engines.
Those are only two examples of the extraordinary consequences of this embargo and the extreme sanctions on Russia, more severe sanctions than have ever been imposed on any country in history.
The result, of course, is going to be a global economic collapse, led by the collapse of first the Euro, and then the US Dollar. If you, readers, want to buy any new electronics, from phones to computers to household appliances, buy them NOW, as they are going to become unavailable by the end of this year. Whatever is still available, from household goods to food, is going to be cripplingly expensive. Hyperinflation is coming, and interest rates on borrowed money are going to escalate to breathtaking levels. If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, refinance it right now into a fixed rate, however high it seems at this time.
I hope this helps all readers. Be of good cheer - we WILL survive and get through this coming confusion.