Trump, Medvedev, and the ‘Dead Hand’: How Present Nuclear Tensions Resemble the Cuban Missile Crisis

Trump, Medvedev, and the ‘Dead Hand’: How Present Nuclear Tensions Resemble the Cuban Missile Crisis

As Trump directs nuclear submarines into “relevant regions” following Medvedev’s warnings, it brings back memories of the 1962 standoff that nearly brought the world to a nuclear disaster.

Nuclear sabre-rattling is once again dominating international headlines, and it carries an eerily familiar tone. This time, it began with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who now serves as Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council. In a post on Telegram, Medvedev took a dig at US President Donald Trump, referenced Cold War-era cinema and nuclear doctrines, and mentioned the “Dead Hand”—formally known as Perimeter—a semi-automated Soviet-era system created to guarantee a retaliatory nuclear strike even if Russian leadership were eliminated in a first attack. Once triggered, Perimeter could automatically launch missiles if it detected a nuclear assault and a total breakdown of command.

“As for all the talk about the ‘dead economies’ of India and Russia, and ‘entering dangerous territory’—maybe he should recall his favourite movies about ‘the walking dead’, and also remember how dangerous the so-called ‘Dead Hand’, which doesn’t even exist, could be,” Medvedev wrote.

In response, Trump announced that he had ordered two American nuclear submarines to move to unspecified “relevant regions”, describing Medvedev’s remarks as “extremely provocative.”

“I have instructed the deployment of two nuclear submarines to relevant regions, just in case these foolish and incendiary statements are more than mere words,” Trump said in a post on social media. He further stated, “Words matter greatly, and they often result in unintended outcomes. I sincerely hope this is not one of those cases.”

Soon afterwards, Russian MP Viktor Vodolatsky brushed off the American move, claiming that Russian submarines had already been targeting US ones for a long time.

As the US and Russia return to exchanging nuclear threats and Cold War-era references, it is worthwhile to look back at the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962—the closest the world has ever come to full-scale nuclear conflict.


What Was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during October 1962. The intensity of the crisis lay in its rapid escalation and the unprecedented closeness of nuclear weapons to US territory.

The USSR had begun secretly deploying nuclear missiles in Cuba, a Caribbean nation just 145 kilometres off the Florida coast. Once operational, these missiles could have struck major American cities in mere minutes.

The incident unfolded amid the Cold War—a long-standing ideological and geopolitical conflict between capitalist America and communist Russia. Both nations were already involved in an arms race, conducting nuclear tests and engaging in proxy wars worldwide. But never before had their weapons come so dangerously close to direct action.


How Did the Crisis Begin?

To fully grasp the Cuban Missile Crisis, one must go back to 1959, when Fidel Castro toppled the US-backed Cuban government and aligned the country with the Soviet Union.

The US, alarmed by a communist regime so close to its shores, attempted to oust Castro. In April 1961, under President John F. Kennedy, the CIA launched the Bay of Pigs invasion—a failed attempt by Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro. The operation ended in disaster and embarrassed the Kennedy administration.

In the aftermath, Cuba and the Soviet Union grew closer. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev saw an opportunity—not just to protect Cuba from another US intervention, but also to equalise strategic threats. At the time, the US had deployed Jupiter nuclear missiles in Turkey and Italy, capable of striking Moscow. Khrushchev believed stationing Soviet missiles in Cuba would balance this threat and give him leverage in future negotiations.

By July 1962, Khrushchev and Castro had privately agreed to place Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. Construction of the launch sites began soon after in remote parts of Cuba, heavily guarded by Soviet and Cuban troops.


Discovery and Alarm in Washington

On 14 October 1962, an American U-2 spy plane captured images of missile sites being built in Cuba. The following day, the photos were presented to President Kennedy. They clearly indicated that the USSR was installing ballistic missiles capable of reaching most of the continental US.

The news shocked the Kennedy administration. Just a few weeks earlier, on 4 September, Kennedy had warned the USSR publicly against placing offensive weapons in Cuba. That warning had now been ignored.

Kennedy formed a high-level advisory group, later known as ExComm, to deliberate the US response. Options included air strikes, full invasion, or diplomatic pressure. However, Kennedy was cautious, fearing that any aggressive step could provoke Soviet retaliation in Europe—or worse, trigger a nuclear exchange.


Kennedy’s “Quarantine”

After days of debate, Kennedy settled on a middle-ground option. On 22 October, he addressed the nation on television, revealing the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba. He announced a naval quarantine—a soft term for blockade—aimed at halting further Soviet weapon shipments.

Kennedy avoided the term “blockade” to prevent a technical act of war, and he also sought international backing from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations (UN).

In a resolute yet calm tone, Kennedy warned: “It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba… as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response.”

As US Navy ships surrounded Cuba, the world waited anxiously.


Soviet Response: Mixed Signals and Escalation

The USSR condemned the quarantine as unlawful. Khrushchev sent a defiant letter to Kennedy, blaming the US for pushing the world towards war. Behind the scenes, however, Soviet ships carrying weaponry either turned back or were stopped and allowed through only if their cargo was non-lethal.

Despite this, surveillance indicated that some missile sites in Cuba were nearly ready for use.

The US raised its military alert to DEFCON 2, just one step below full-scale war. Nuclear bombers began 24/7 readiness flights.


27 October: “Black Saturday”

The most dangerous day came on 27 October—dubbed “Black Saturday.” A US U-2 plane was shot down over Cuba by a Soviet-supplied missile, killing pilot Major Rudolf Anderson, the sole US fatality in the crisis.

On the same day, Kennedy received two messages from Khrushchev. The first, more conciliatory, proposed removing Soviet missiles from Cuba in exchange for a US promise not to invade. The second demanded that the US also remove its Jupiter missiles from Turkey.

To sidestep public negotiation, Kennedy publicly accepted the first offer and ignored the second. Meanwhile, Robert Kennedy, the president’s brother, privately told Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin that the US would quietly remove the Jupiter missiles later—but not publicly.


The Resolution

On 28 October, Khrushchev accepted Kennedy’s terms. He declared that the USSR would dismantle its missile bases in Cuba under UN observation, and in return, the US would not invade Cuba.

The crisis had ended—barely. The US quarantine remained until 20 November, and the Jupiter missiles were discreetly removed from Turkey by April 1963.


What Changed Post-1962?

The Cuban Missile Crisis left a lasting impact on US–Soviet ties and nuclear diplomacy.

  • A direct hotline was established between Washington and Moscow to reduce the chance of miscommunication.
  • The Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1963, prohibiting atmospheric, underwater, and space-based nuclear tests.
  • Both sides realised the immense danger of miscalculation and came to appreciate backchannel diplomacy.

The Doomsday Clock: A Symbol of Near-Destruction

The Doomsday Clock, maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, is a symbolic gauge of how close humanity is to self-destruction. It doesn’t tell actual time—it reflects existential threats such as nuclear war, climate change, and technological risks.

It was originally set at seven minutes to midnight in 1947. In 1962, although the hands weren’t moved, the Cuban Missile Crisis gave the Clock a powerful symbolic meaning. “Minutes to midnight” was no longer an abstract phrase—it had become alarmingly real.

In 1991, after the Soviet Union collapsed, the Clock moved back to 17 minutes to midnight, the furthest ever. But in recent years, it has moved dangerously close.

By 2023–24, amid rising global tensions and deteriorating diplomacy, it stood at 90 seconds to midnight—the closest ever. In January 2025, it was moved even closer: 89 seconds to midnight.

This shift was attributed to factors like the Ukraine war, nuclear modernisation, and performative nuclear threats—such as those now exchanged between Trump and Medvedev via social media.


Why This Matters in 2025

In 1962, it was secrecy, diplomatic restraint, and sober leadership that prevented catastrophe. Today, nuclear posturing plays out on the internet, driven more by public one-upmanship than careful statecraft.

Yet the stakes remain just as dangerous.

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