The US and Russia have agreed to resume high-level military contacts

The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi within the framework of the Russia-Ukraine-USA peace talks, where the commander of the US European Command, General Alexus G. Grinkevich met with high-ranking Russian and Ukrainian military officers.

US Special Envoy Steve Wittkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also participated in the trilateral talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

The channel of communication between senior US and Russian military personnel was broken in late 2021, shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“Maintaining military-to-military dialogue is an important factor in global stability and peace, which can only be achieved through force, and provides a means of transparency and de-escalation,” US European Command said.

In the statement, it is noted that Grinkevich also has the authority, as the commander-in-chief of NATO forces in Europe, to hold a military dialogue with the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Moscow and Washington have had limited contact, including phone calls between defense ministers and chiefs of staff.

The DPA news agency writes that Trump is trying to restore bilateral ties at various levels, recalling that he had several phone conversations with Vladimir Putin and met with him in Alaska in August 2025.