What was John F. Kennedy's relationship with the Soviet Union and its leaders?

John F. Kennedy's relationship with the Soviet Union and its leaders was defined by the Cold War, a time of tension and hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union. Kennedy became president in 1961, at the height of the Cold War, and his presidency was marked by several key moments that defined his relationship with the Soviet Union and its leaders.

One of the most significant events in Kennedy's relationship with the Soviet Union was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, which was just 90 miles from the United States, and Kennedy demanded that they be removed. After several tense days of negotiations, the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for a promise from the United States not to invade Cuba.

Kennedy also had a complicated relationship with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. While the two men had several cordial meetings, they also clashed over several key issues, including the construction of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union's efforts to spread communism around the world.

In the end, Kennedy's relationship with the Soviet Union and its leaders was defined by a mixture of cooperation and conflict. While he was able to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was also deeply committed to containing the spread of communism and limiting Soviet influence around the world.