The famous leader of the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis was Nikita Khrushchev. This crisis unfolded in October 1962 when the United States discovered Soviet nuclear missiles stationed in Cuba, just 90 miles from its shores. Khrushchev's decision to place these missiles in Cuba was a major escalation of the Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The standoff brought the world to the brink of nuclear war, but ultimately resulted in a negotiated settlement that included the withdrawal of the missiles and a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba.