Kremlin says Russia-US hotline to deflate crisis not in use, as nuclear risks rise

A special hotline in place to deflate crises between the Kremlin and the White House is not currently being used, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, as nuclear risks rise amid the highest tensions between Russia and West in decades.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks, days after reports said Washington had allowed Ukraine to use US-made weapons to strike deep into Russia.

Ukraine used US ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory on Tuesday, taking advantage of the newly granted permission from the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden on the war’s 1,000th day.

A so-called hotline between Moscow and Washington was established in 1963 to reduce the misperceptions that stoked the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 by allowing direct communication between the US and Russian leaders.

“We have a special secure line for communication between the two presidents, Russia and the United States. Moreover, even for video communication,” Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov told Tass state news agency. But when asked whether this channel is currently in use, he said: “No”.