WASHINGTON, December 25. /TASS/. At this point, the US Department of Defense has nothing to announce about the possibility of a phone conversation between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, a spokesperson has told TASS.

"DOD [Department of Defense] has no statement or information regarding Secretary of Defense engagements to provide," the spokesperson said, when asked whether another phone conversation between the two defense chiefs is planned.

Belousov and Austin had a phone call on July 12. The New York Times late claimed that the two ministers discussed Ukraine’s upcoming "clandestine operation" against Russia. US officials told the newspaper that Russia allegedly intended to find out if the United States is involved in Kiev’s plans. The sources pointed out that the Pentagon was unaware of the Ukrainian operation, but perceived Moscow’s warning "so seriously that it contacted Kiev and urged it not to carry out the operation, if such plans indeed took place."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS in late July that Belousov had "sent a very serious warning" to the US secretary of Defense about the danger of an uncontrollable escalation due to the actions of Kiev and Washington.

"A very serious warning was sent by the Russian side regarding new provocations from Kiev, which are inconceivable without Washington’s direct assistance," Ryabkov said. "This warning was made in order to avoid further dangerous escalation, which may cause consequences that may become totally uncontrollable.".