Russia says Ukraine could turn into rerun of Cuban missile crisis
- Biden phones Ukraine president and nine eastern European Nato allies as he seeks to ‘bring down the temperature’
- Germany and UK warn Putin of ‘consequences’ if Moscow invades
Russia said on Thursday that escalating tensions over Ukraine could lead to a repeat of the Cuban missile crisis, when the world stood on the brink of nuclear war.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made the comment when asked by a reporter if the current situation could turn into something resembling the 1962 Cold War stand-off between the United States and the Soviet Union.
“You know, it really could come to that,” Interfax news agency quoted him as saying. “If things continue as they are, it is entirely possible by the logic of events to suddenly wake up and see yourself in something similar.”
The Cuban crisis was triggered by the stationing of Soviet nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island and prompted the United States to impose a naval blockade to prevent Moscow shipping in more.
Moscow’s stated fear in Ukraine, which seeks to join Nato, is that the alliance will deploy missiles there and target them against Russia. Nato says it is a defensive alliance and such concerns are unwarranted.