MOSCOW, February 19./TASS/. Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov and US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman discussed on Monday prospects for bilateral relations in the military sector, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

It said Gerasimov and Huntsman "exchanged views on the situation in the security sphere, as well as views on the current state and prospects for bilateral relations in the military sphere," the ministry said.

Jon Huntsman spoke in favor of more active contacts between Washington and Moscow, the US Embassy in Moscow said on Monday.

"There is obviously a low level of trust between our two countries. It is precisely at moments like these, when more communications are needed, not less," it quoted the US diplomat as saying. The embassy also said "They discussed Ukraine, Syria, Strategic Stability, Afghanistan, and the DPRK".