25 October - US Ambassador to the UN Adlai Stevenson demands USSR UN representative Valerian Zorin answer regarding Cuban missile bases

 

On October 25, 1962, amid the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, US Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson confronted Soviet representative Valerian Zorin in a dramatic UN Security Council session. The standoff came after U.S. reconnaissance photos had revealed Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.

Stevenson, known for his calm diplomacy, demanded an immediate answer from Zorin about whether the Soviet Union had installed missile bases in Cuba. When Zorin refused to respond directly, Stevenson famously declared, “I am prepared to wait for my answer until hell freezes over.” This exchange highlighted the intense Cold War tensions and underscored Stevenson’s resolve. His firm stance and the photographic evidence presented by the United States were pivotal in rallying international support and pressuring the Soviet Union to ultimately dismantle the missile sites, averting a nuclear conflict.