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====Kennedy ignores the 2nd Krushchev Message====

Although U.S. experts were convinced the message from Khrushchev was authentic, hope for a resolution was short-lived. The next day, October 27, Khrushchev sent another message indicating that any proposed deal must include removing U.S. Jupiter missiles from Turkey. That same day a U.S. U–2 reconnaissance jet was shot down over Cuba. Kennedy and his advisors prepared for an attack on Cuba within days as they searched for any remaining diplomatic resolution. It was determined that Kennedy would ignore the second Khrushchev message and respond to the first one. That night, Kennedy outlined in his message to the Soviet leader proposed steps for removing Soviet missiles from Cuba under the United Nations' supervision and a guarantee that the United States would not attack Cuba.

At the same time, the world hung on the brink of possible nuclear war. To prevent this from happening again, a direct telephone link between the White House and the Kremlin was established; it became known as the “Hotline.” Second, having approached the brink of nuclear conflict, both superpowers began to reconsider the nuclear arms race and took the first steps in agreeing to a nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

* Republished from [https://history.state.gov/| Office of the Historian, United States Department of State]