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This. It didn't stop the USA and USSR from directly confronting each other, but the pledge of neutrality and a 'third bloc' formed by many significant countries from disparate parts of the world (particularly key were Yugoslavia, United-Arab-Republic/Egypt, Indonesia, India, etc.) undoubtedly had a big effect to ensure that the rest of the world wasn't about to be 'carved up' into spheres of influence or be drawn into proxy wars.

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You are giving yourselves too much credit. A nuclear war between USA and USSR would be the war to end all wars. It matters not what other countries did or did not do. The only reason it did not happen is because thankfully both of them were not that crazy. It would have been MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). So my point is, what exactly are you giving yourself credit for?

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