Discussions of The Summit
When the two men first met in Vienna, Kennedy somewhat awkwardly looked Khrushchev up and down several times, unable to hide his curiosity about the Soviet leader. The discussions touched on a range of topics, including the position of Laos and the broader conflict in Indochina, nuclear disarmament, and ideological musings. Discussions over Berlin, however, dominated the meeting.
Khrushchev threatened to sign a peace agreement with East Germany that would impinge on Western access to Berlin by turning over control of the access roads and air routes. However, though Kennedy stood firm on Western access to Berlin, he also placed unprecedented emphasis on the phrase ‘West Berlin’ during the summit and conveyed tacit acquiescence to Soviet actions in their sector of Berlin, including a possible border closure.
Khrushchev told Kennedy, "Force will be met by force. If the US wants war, that's its problem." "It's up to the US to decide whether there will be war or peace." "The decision to sign a peace treaty is firm and irrevocable, and the Soviet Union will sign it in December if the US refuses an interim agreement."
To this, Kennedy replied, "Then, Mr. Chairman, there will be a war. It will be a cold, long winter."
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