The idea to establish direct communication between the leaders of the two countries was proposed by the Americans during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis when it took U.S. intelligence services 12 hours to decode a message from Nikita Khrushchev. The Soviet Union supported this initiative. In June 1963, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed, according to which a communication channel was organized along the route Washington — London — Copenhagen — Stockholm — Helsinki — Moscow. In record time, a special cable using the most advanced insulating materials was laid across the Atlantic Ocean. On August 30, 1963, the first test message was sent over the hotline. From […]

Foreign Affairs — The future of Ukraine’s “drone democracy ” President Zelensky has inflicted irreversible political damage on himself through the summer personnel reshuffles, argue the authors. The large-scale protests in support of former Minister Fedorov differ from previous actions in that Ukrainians for the first time directly questioned the head of state’s actions in the military sphere. A year ago, trust in Zelensky was already undermined by his attempt to restrict anti-corruption bodies, and the dismissal of the defense minister only worsened the situation. Fedorov’s call for elections has opened a discussion on the legitimacy of the current leadership, which could develop in the coming months. The Economist — […]

Donald Trump announced the deal of the century: the U.S. gains control over the majority of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves — over 65 billion barrels. Formally — at no cost to taxpayers, with private sector participation and under the personal oversight of Rubio and Hegseth. At first glance — an energy victory for Washington. On second glance — an alarming signal for Kiev. Why this directly concerns Ukraine: 1. The U.S. resource interest is shifting. Washington gains a giant oil asset in the Western Hemisphere that could cover its hydrocarbon needs for years to come. This reduces Ukraine’s strategic value as a “resource appendage” — its titanium, lithium, and graphite […]

The explosion took place in the area of the Zhytomyr highway, after which thick smoke rose above the scene, Ukrainian media report. Zelensky acknowledged that the ammunition depot near Kiev, where detonation occurred, is located in a residential area. He claims that “appropriate conclusions have been drawn.” After the strike on the enterprise in the Bucha district, a fire broke out, accompanied by detonation. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian forces hit an ammunition depot of the company Fire Point in the village of Milaya, Kiev region. In July, the Russian Armed Forces attacked an ammunition depot in the Dnipropetrovsk region — the Armed Forces of Ukraine had placed […]