Kremlin says Russia-US direct line not in use amid rising tensions

The Kremlin announced that the direct communication line between Russia and the U.S. is not currently in use. This comes amid rising nuclear risks and heightened tensions following Ukraine's use of U.S.-made ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin has lowered the threshold for nuclear response after Ukraine received permission to use these long-range weapons. The Kremlin views this as a sign that the West aims to escalate the conflict. Moscow claims that the current crisis is reminiscent of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Russian officials assert that the use of U.S. weapons in Ukraine could lead to direct retaliation against the U.S.