Mark Milli and Valery Gerasimov. Archival photoMOSCOW, May 19. Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov spoke by phone with Chairman of the Committee of Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces Mark Milley, the parties discussed a number of issues, including the situation in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces — First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation General of the Army Valery Gerasimov and Chairman of the Committee of Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the United States of America General Mark Milley. Issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Ukraine, were discussed. operation in Ukraine on 24 February. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and , on March 25, completed the main tasks of the first stage — significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.
