The current crisis is far worse than the Cuban missile crisis, in part because during the Cuban missile crisis both Kennedy and Khrushchev were willing to discuss a way of walking back the confrontation. There is no such option on the table here," Cynthia Hooper, a history professor and Russia expert at the College of the Holy Cross, told Insider.
Russia has the nuclear arms to back up its threats against Ukraine, and experts see a disconnect between the US and Russian leaders that may contribute to a dire miscalculation — in stark contrast to the Cuban missile crisis.
"Today, the two presidents are not talking to each other," she said.
"President Biden has made clear his views that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. And Vladimir Putin has responded that these remarks are unforgivable," Gottemoeller said. "So the communications between the two top leaders have been very much on ice, and I think for good reason in many ways. But I do think communicating at a high level at some point during this crisis will be necessary."
with the war going badly for Russia, there are growing concerns that Putin could make good on these threats. The Biden administration has privately warned Russia there would be "catastrophic consequences" were Russia to use of a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
President Joe Biden recently suggested that the world is now the closest its been to nuclear "Armageddon" since the Cuban missile crisis. His comment triggered criticism, but experts tend to agree with Biden's assessment.
"This crisis is more dangerous than the Cuban missile crisis," Andy Weber, a former assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological programs, recently told Politico. "President Biden's reported reference to 'Armageddon' is not an exaggeration," Weber added.
https://www.businessinsider.com/ukr...rse-than-cuban-missile-crisis-experts-2022-10
