The Lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis for the Ukraine War

Brussels The most dramatic chapter of the Cold War began with black-and-white photos taken from an altitude of 21,000 meters: On October 14, 1962, an American U2 spy plane spotted Soviet technicians and soldiers in Cuba. Analysis of the images confirmed the suspicion that the Soviet Union was installing nuclear-capable medium-range missiles on the Caribbean island, less than 150 kilometers from the US coast.

From the American point of view, this was an unacceptable provocation: the US Navy sealed off Cuba with a naval blockade. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was outraged by American “banditry” and ordered Soviet cargo ships to ignore US fleet radio signals. The world held its breath as Washington and Moscow headed for a nuclear confrontation.

The 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis is approaching these weeks. It would be a relief if the round number explained the current interest in the nuclear showdown. But that is not the case. The Cuban Missile Crisis is being discussed because it serves as a reminder of the potential for escalation in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.