U.S. and Russia meet

Both sides seek increased transparency to reduce misunderstanding and increase stability.

Col. Dave Butler, spokesman for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Milley, on his meeting with a Russian counterpart.

• The meeting between Gen. Milley and Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov took place in Helsinki, Finland (Helsinki was also the site of a famous “Helsinki Summit” between Pres. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin).
  
• Gen. Milley has been on a trip in Europe, continuing to meet with allies of the U.S. in the aftermath of the Afghanistan drawdown and evacuation.
  
• One of the major topics of conversation? Where the U.S. may be able to base counterterrorism forces without a presence in Afghanistan. Russia has already warned the U.S. and neighboring countries about such an effort.
  
• Why It Matters: The meeting between the U.S. and Russia is happening at a critical time strategically – as both nations have an interest in a stable Afghanistan – and also politically, as Gen. Milley came under fire recently for a conversation he held with another U.S. adversary, China, during the Trump administration.

Top US military officer holds talks with Russian counterpart