American University, June 10, 1963
Considered one of his most visionary and courageous speeches, Kennedy outlined a way to stop an imminent nuclear disaster, and beyond that find a path to world peace and nuclear disarmament. The historic records give much of the credit to Kennedy for avoiding a nuclear war with the Soviet Union in 1962 over nuclear missiles in Cuba and Turkey during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
On the 60th anniversary of the Missile Crisis, that brought the world closer to nuclear war than ever, analysts say that history repeats itself now, in October 2022. The two largest nuclear powers, the US and Russia, are in confrontation over Ukraine.
And instead of de-escalating all sides in this conflict turn up the heat. On October 17, 2022, the United States and NATO launched nuclear war games in the skies above Belgium, the United Kingdom and the North Sea. Russia’s military is set to stage its own annual nuclear exercise called “Thunder” along Russia’s northwestern coast. And a spokesperson for President Putin said that the four territories of Ukraine that Russia annexed will fall under the protection of Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
This speech has become the most often quoted historic document during the escalation of the war over Ukraine. The parallels are shocking and the specific proposals for de-escalation are as valid and inspiring as they were in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
Location
American University, Washington, DC
Credit
JFK Presidential Library, Boston Mass.
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