In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned the possibility of using nuclear weapons when the invasion of Ukraine did not go as he had expected. A lot of countries and people became anxious because of Putin’s remark since Russia’s use of nuclear weapons could escalate into a full-scale global nuclear war and total destruction of humanity.
Meanwhile, today, some states are developing limited tactical nuclear weapons, which could increase the possesser’s likelihood of using nuclear weapons, raising concerns that tactical nuclear weapons could eventually expand into all-out nuclear war. Thus, we are currently living in an era where crisis management surrounding nuclear weapons has become more important than ever. The Korean Peninsula we live in is also not free from nuclear weapons.
Fortunately, humanity has an experience overcoming the nuclear war crisis. The Cuban Missile Crisis, which occurred sixty years ago, is that very experience. Going through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the two great powers, the United States and the Soviet, realized that the use of nuclear weapons would lead to the annihilation of humanity, agreeing to solve the crisis through negotiations. As such, today’s nuclear powers must possess the capability and knowledge to peacefully solve any potential nuclear crises through crisis management and negotiation.
Then, what lessons can the Cuban Missile Crisis teach today’s nuclear powers and their leaders about crisis management? Can we gain the knowledge necessary to overcome any potential nuclear crises by studying the Cuban Missile Crisis? We intend to host world-renowned scholars and diplomats to discuss and address these questions through this session.