(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, announced that the special hotline between the presidents of Russia and the United States is no longer in use.
This hotline, established in 1963 after the Cuban Missile Crisis, was last used on February 12, 2022, during discussions between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden.
TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported on Wednesday, November 20, that Peskov stated,“The emergency hotline between the Kremlin and the White House, created after the Cuban Missile Crisis, is no longer in operation.”
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union triggered by the deployment of Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. Often regarded as a near trigger for nuclear war during the Cold War, the crisis led to the establishment of the hotline to reduce the risks of nuclear escalation.
Peskov's remarks coincided with the temporary closure of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv following warnings of a large-scale airstrike on the city. The embassy cited intelligence reports of an imminent attack.
Tensions between Russia and the United States have intensified as President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons for strikes on Russian territory.
On Tuesday, November 19, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Ukraine, for the first time, used U.S.-supplied long-range ballistic missiles to strike Russian soil.
During the Cold War, the hotline was utilized during critical emergencies, allowing direct communication between Russian and American presidents to avoid escalation.
Peskov now confirms that there has been no communication through the hotline,“not even in emergencies,” reflecting the current breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The discontinuation of the hotline marks a significant erosion of diplomatic tools aimed at preventing conflicts, particularly in an era of heightened tensions and military escalations in Ukraine.
The absence of this line of communication amid growing hostility between the U.S. and Russia raises concerns about the lack of mechanisms to defuse potential crises, further increasing the risk of miscalculation and global instability.
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