Top U.S. general speaks with Belarusian counterpart amid Russia drills

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. general spoke with his Belarusian counterpart on Thursday, the Pentagon said, as Russia held military exercises in Belarus and the Black Sea following its troop buildup near Ukraine.

"The phone call facilitated communication between both leaders to reduce chances of miscalculation and gain perspectives on current European security," Colonel Dave Butler, a spokesman for U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)