Translation of a letter from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to President John F. Kennedy, 26 October 1962
This item is a Department of State translation of a letter from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to President John F. Kennedy regarding the situation in Cuba, later known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Russian original of this letter can be found at NAID 6883679.
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Extracted text
OCR Page 1 of 9Sc
endeavor. We argue with you; we have differences on ideological questions.
But our concept of the world is that questions of ideology, as well as
economic problems, should be settled by other than military means; they
must be solved in peaceful contest, or as this is interpreted in capitalist
society--by competition. Our premise has been and remains that peaceful
coexistence of two different sociopolitical systems--8 reality of our world==
is essential, and that it is essential to ensure lasting peace. These are
the principles to which we adhere.
You have now declared piratical measures, the kind that were practiced
in the Middle Ages when ships passing through international waters were
attacked, and you have called this a "quarantine" around Cuba. Our vessels
will probably soon enter the zone patrolled by your Navy. I assure you that
the vessels which are now headed for Cuba are carrying the most innocuous
peaceful cargoes. Do you really think that all we spend our time on is
transporting so-called offensive weapons, atomic and hydrogen bonbs? Even
though your military people may possibly imagine that these are some special
kind of weapons, I assure you that they are the most ordinary kind of peace-
ful goods.
Therefore, Mr. President, let us show good sense. I: assure you that
the ships bound for Cuba are carrying no armaments at all. The arnaments
needed for the defense of Cuba are dready there. I do not mean to say that
there have been no shipments of armaments at all. No, there were such ship-
ments. But now Cuba has already obtained the necessary weapons for defense.
I do not know whether you can understand me and believe me. But I
wish you would believe yourself and agree that one should not give way to
one's passions; that one should be master of then. And what direction are
events taking now? If you begin stopping vessels it would be piracy, as
you yourself know. If we should start doing this to your ships you would
be just as indignant as we and the whole world are now indignant. Such
actions cannot be interpreted otherwise, because lawlessness cannot be
legalized. Were this allowed to happen then there would be no peace; nor
would
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