We will not prematurely or unnecessarily risk the costs of worldwide nuclear war in… — John F. Kennedy

We will not prematurely or unnecessarily risk the costs of worldwide nuclear war in which even the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouth--but neither will we shrink from that risk at any time it must be faced...I call upon Chairman Khrushchev to halt and eliminate this clandestine, reckless, and provocative threat to world peace and to stable relations between our two nations...He has an opportunity now to move the world back from the abyss of destruction.