Kremlin Says U.S. Hotline Not in Use

Tensions between Russia and the West have escalated, with the Kremlin announcing that the special hotline established to defuse crises with the US is currently inactive. This announcement comes in the wake of Ukraine utilizing US-made ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory, which Moscow interprets as an indication of Western intent to escalate the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to perceived threats from conventional attacks. The hotline, established in 1963 to prevent misunderstandings similar to those that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis, has not been used since February 2022. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the existence of secure communication lines, but stated they are not being utilized for emergency contacts at this time. The ongoing war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has caused widespread devastation and displacement.