The Moscow–Washington Hotline Worked – This Time Around – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)

The author examines the role of the Moscow-Washington 'hotline' and related communication channels in defusing tensions after the US military response to chemical weapons use in Douma, Syria. While the author criticizes the legal basis and evidentiary grounds of the strikes, they emphasize that dialogue between the superpowers prevented a wider conflict. The text also notes the implications for Norway's security and the internal US political dynamics that influenced the limited nature of the military response.

• The communication channels between Moscow and Washington, often metaphorically called the 'hotline', were essential in preventing a further escalation of conflict between the two superpowers during the Western military response to the use of chemical weapons in Douma on 14 April 2018.
• The US missile strikes in Syria were conducted without established justifications under international law and before the perpetrators of the chemical attacks had been independently documented, creating a dangerous precedent.
• The limited nature of the US response was attributed to the influence of Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who advocated for a limited strike and the use of dialogue to secure Russia's understanding, countering more confrontational impulses from President Trump and incoming officials like Bolton and Pompeo.
• The historical 'hotline' established in 1963 was not a telephone link but a written communication system requiring decoding and translation, with cryptographic equipment provided by the Norwegian company Standard Telefon og Kabelfabrikk.

APA

Harpviken, K. B. (2018). The Moscow–Washington Hotline Worked – This Time Around – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://www.prio.org/comments/62

Chicago

Harpviken, Kristian Berg. The Moscow–Washington Hotline Worked – This Time Around – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2018. https://www.prio.org/comments/62.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Harpviken |first1=Kristian Berg |title=The Moscow–Washington Hotline Worked – This Time Around – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=7 May 2018 |url=https://www.prio.org/comments/62 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{harpviken2018moscowwashington, author = {Harpviken, Kristian Berg}, title = {{The Moscow–Washington Hotline Worked – This Time Around – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)}}, publisher = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://www.prio.org/comments/62}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }