Khrushchev responds that he is pleased that you are willing to make a deal, but that the removal of missiles from Turkey is of paramount importance. He apologizes for neglecting the issue in the first letter and agrees to leave the terms of the first letter as the official terms if the United States will remove the missiles from Turkey covertly and seemingly unilaterally.
| Accept the revised terms | Ending the conflict is the most important goal, and by keeping the official terms the same and making the removal of the missiles in Turkey a covert agreement, you are not losing anything in the eyes of the public. Since you were prepared to sacrifice the missiles in Turkey from the beginning, this is a good deal. |
| Reject the revised terms | Khrushchev offered terms and you accepted them. You cannot let him bully his way to more demands now. Repeat your offer to accept the initial terms, leaving the missiles in Turkey, and declare that if those terms are not acceptable, the deal is off. |