Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Report: Cuban Missile Crisis

This report examines negotiation and conflict resolution strategies, using the Cuban Missile Crisis as a case study. It defines BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) and analyzes the potential outcomes for both the USA and USSR. The report explores the negotiation process, highlighting the challenges of achieving mutually beneficial outcomes and the potential for one party to exercise its BATNA. It further discusses issues negotiated during the crisis, referencing the movie "Thirteen Days," and outlines the positions, interests, and priorities of the USA and USSR regarding missile removal, non-invasion of Cuba, and the removal of Jupiter missiles from Turkey. The report emphasizes the complex interplay of interests and priorities in international negotiations.

Running head: NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Negotiation and Conflicts Resolution
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Authors Note:

1
NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Part 3:
Best Alternative to the Negotiated Agreement is referred to as BATNA in a negotiation. Thus,
there is generally two different outcomes to a negotiation to correspond to BATNA for the two
parties to the negotiation. Considering BATNAs of both USA and USSR in Cuban Missiles
crisis the following answers have been provided.
Sub part a:
USA will get to keep the Jupiter missiles in Turkey and will compel Soviet to remove the
missiles from Cuba by exercising BATNA.
From the perspective of Soviet ensuring that Jupiter missiles are removed by the US from
Turkey and keeping its missiles in Cuba along with assurance from the US that it will not invade
the Cuban soil will be BATNA to the negotiation.
Sub part b:
Negotiation is a process of adjusting interests of parties to a contract or deal form a successful
contract between the two. Thus, achieving BATNAs for both the parties in a single contract is
not possible. However, it is definitely possible to exercise BATNA by one of the parties to a
negotiation. The probable outcomes of USA BATNA would be very advantageous to the USA
whereas it will be not to the liking of USSR and Cuba. On the other hand the probable outcome
of USSR BATNA would be extremely satisfactory to the interests of both CUBA and USSR
(Scott & Hughes (Eds.) 2015).
Sub part c:

2
NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
With US having its Jupiter missiles in Turkey and a close watch on the Cuban activities, it has a
better BATNA.
Part 4:
Sub part a:
As per the movie “Thirteen Days” there were number of issues that were under negotiation as per
the movie. A brief list of three such issues are mentioned here to enable the readers to understand
the critical issues of the negotiation as per the movie.
I. Immediate removal of missiles from the Cuban soil by the Soviet and dismantling of the sites
where missiles have been installed.
II. Refraining from attacking and invading Cuban soil.
III. Removal of Jupiter missiles from Turkey by the US administration.
Sub part b:
Immediate removal of missiles from the Cuban soil by the Soviet and dismantling of the sites
where missiles have been installed:
Position: USA in favor of removal of these missiles however, USSR was not in favor of the
same.
Interests: USA will be able to avert the nuclear threat from Cuba. USSR has invested its funds on
assembling missiles in Cuba will be lost.
Priorities: USA has kept at as the first priority in the negotiation with USSR wishing to avoid the
discussion.
Refraining from attacking and invading Cuban soil:

3
NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Position: Neither USA nor USSR are in support of attacking a sovereign country like Cuba.
Interests: To keep the economic growth and progress of the regions intact, applicable to both US
and USSR.
Priorities: Both countries will keep it as one of the top priorities.
Removal of Jupiter missiles from Turkey by the US administration:
Position: US is not in favor of such agreement with USSR looking to achieve this objective. =
Interests: Both have different interests.
Priorities: For USSR it is the top most priorities whereas the US would love to avoid such
discussion (Frankel, 2018).

4
NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Reference:
Frankel, M. (2018). Learning from the Missile Crisis. In Cuban Communism, 1959-2003 (pp. 80-
90). Routledge.
Scott, L., & Hughes, R. G. (Eds.). (2015). The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Critical Reappraisal.
Routledge.