Threats by the US Governmnet to Invade Cuba
On the evening of October 22, President Kennedy announced on national television to inform the nation of the happenings in Cuba, the U.S. government’s plan of a naval quarantine around Cuba, and the possible consequences if the crisis escalated. On October 24, the Soviet Union’s leader Khrushchev reacted to President Kennedy’s statement, stating that the quarantine was an act of aggression and that Soviet ships would still proceed to Cuba.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917 – 1963), American president announcing on television the strategic blockade of Cuba, and his warning to the Soviet Union about missile sanctions during the Cuban missile crisis, 22nd October 1962. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
On October 24 and 25, some Soviet ships were not granted access from the quarantine line, others that did not contain offensive weapons were allowed to proceed. However, there was no military confrontation. Meanwhile, there were indications that the Soviet’s missile sites were near completion and they were not showing any inclination of backing down. On October 26, US started making preparations to invade Cuba and a nuclear strike to ward off any military retaliation by the Soviet Union.