For the moment, Kennedy had done all he could in regard to civil rights. All he could do was wait and see whether Congress would pass the bill. In the meantime, there were still pressing foreign affairs matters that required his attention. In late 1962, Kennedy had decided to forgo further development of the Skybolt, an air-launched ballistic missile. Its cost of $2.5 billion, he decided, was a waste of money since the Polaris submarine and the Minutemen missiles provided sufficient defense. Since President Eisenhower had promised to supply the Skybolts for British nuclear warheads, Kennedy had to break the news to Prime Minister Macmillan. With the turnaround, Britain's plan for independent nuclear might was potentially shattered.

The Nassau Agreement

Kennedy knew Macmillan was disappointed. More than that, he realized that such a huge departure from the previous administration's agreement threatened relations with Britain. Consequently, he struck a new deal with Macmillan at a meeting in Bermuda on December 18, 1962. According to the Nassau Agreement, the two nations would work together in the creation of nuclear submarines equipped with Polaris missiles. These submarines would be part of a multilateral force of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but Britain was authorized to use them for its own protection under conditions of extreme distress.

Kennedy sensed the necessity of offering the same agreement to France, but de Gaulle had other plans. He believed it was unwise to rely entirely on U.S. protection, and he thought the British agreement with the United States was evidence of Britain's preferred alignment. In January 1963, de Gaulle made a startling disclosure. France intended to block Britain's admission into the European Economic Community (EEC). Furthermore, in February, as France moved away from its allies, it formed a new alliance with West Germany that allowed the Germans to be less dependent on the United States and NATO. France planned to develop nuclear weapons and now wanted to be on an equal footing with the United States in NATO.

Visiting West Germany

This, of course, concerned Kennedy. He feared that France's fallout with the United States made Europe even more prone to Soviet influence. To test the waters between the United States and Germany, Kennedy decided to take a trip to Europe in the early spring of 1963. Kennedy was concerned about the new alliance between France and Germany, and German chancellor Konrad Adenauer's plan to step down within the year caused Kennedy to fear that the worst for Europe still lay ahead. On June 22, hours after meeting with King and civil rights leaders about the March on Washington, Kennedy boarded his plane for the six-hour trip to Europe.

When he arrived in Bonn, Germany, Kennedy could not help but get excited over the enthusiastic welcome. Crowds chanted his name and waved American flags. When he spoke to a large audience in Bonn, they went wild with his remarks about U.S. commitment to their freedom and safety.

The enthusiasm was no less when he arrived in West Berlin. He spent four hours touring Berlin, and he had the opportunity to stand on a guard platform and look over the Wall at the deserted streets of East Berlin. This was a disturbing sight for Kennedy. Next, he addressed the 150,000 people who crowded around the platform in the City Hall. Just like the audience in Bonn, they too went wild when he spoke about freedom versus communism. Kennedy's statement, “Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner),” received enthusiastic applause. Kennedy arrived back in Washington from his trip, satisfied with Germany's enthusiasm over American support.