Jing Qiying
08 June 2022
The Presidium took a whole new direction today. Previously delegates brought up the idea of demilitarising and seeking peace, but now, military action seems to be at the top of the agenda. This change in topic was brought upon by the USA’s discovery of missiles in Cuba, an act that would lead the council into making increasingly militaristic measures as a last resort.
Ministers talked about several things such as funding for military action and implemented conscription for all able USSR citizens from age 16 to 21. One solution brought up was the installation of missiles in East Berlin.
The current naval blockade on Cuba has let ministers bring up the subject of using airlifts as a replacement for sending in supplies, much like the solution implemented during the previous Berlin Blockade.
With the current Cuban naval blockade, talks about another Berlin blockade were at the forefront of discussion in council. The previous Berlin blockade failed due to the USA’s cunning tactics. The airlifts by the USA and its allies supplied resources to the people in WestBerlin, this rendered the blockade useless as West Berlin residents could still access supplies and hence were not affected in the intended way.
The airlifts were the main reason the blockade failed, hence, learning from past mistakes, the council suggested that missiles be placed in Berlin, along with the blockade to prevent similar airlifts from happening, an “uno reverse card” as Brezhnev put it.
Missiles in Berlin, is that a good solution? Well, it might just be. First of all, the missiles will deter the USA and its allies from interfering with the blockade. The missiles in Berlin will discourage the USA and its allies from sending in planes to airlift supplies into West Berlin as doing so will threaten their airforce.
Next, the missiles in Berlin might portray the USA as a weak nation. If the USA is unwilling to provide aid to West Berlin, it will show how selfish and feeble the USA is; not willing to sacrifice any of their forces to provide aid to residents of West Berlin. Their position as the global peacekeeper will be jeopardised due to their unwillingness and inability to act.
However, the USSR will not be responsible for acting first. Even the proposed blockade of West Berlin is in response to the unreasonable blockade on Cuba. The missiles will not be fired unless the USA decides to act first by shooting down any planes that the USSR decides to send.
Yet there are some points of concern regarding this solution. Attacking planes flying along the protected air corridors to East Berlin, which were previously used by the Allies to airlift supplies, could evoke even more international outrage and the Allies would use this as an opportunity to paint the USSR as an unreasonable, aggressive state.
The council will need to conduct more discussion on this issue. It is imperative that the USA’s unwarranted acts of aggression such as the sanctions on Cuba and the threats sent to the USSR be addressed with appropriate responses. The council agrees that if the USA decides to act aggressively, it will only be in the best interest of the USSR to act in the same manner.
Regardless, the division of Berlin has been a thorn in the USSR’s side for too long now, its placement like a pimple in the smooth face of our motherland. The Allied powers should have no place in the USSR and should be able to include West Berlin in its territory.