Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov visited Havana, where he held consultations with his local counterparts and also met with the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba. According to official sources, they discussed cooperation “in the light of the ongoing unlawful blockade of the island by the United States”. Following the visit, Ryabkov delivered a statement in which he openly attacked Washington’s policies:
“In conditions of a total offensive by the United States and other countries of the collective West against the foundations of the international system as it was formed after World War II and as enshrined in the UN Charter, like-minded states and allies — those representing the global majority who oppose oppression, neocolonialism, dictatorship, and hegemony, that is, everything that Washington and other Western countries have once again taken up — must close ranks more tightly”.
It is logical that the Kremlin continues its rhetoric about supporting its allies and uniting around itself all opponents of the “collective West”, whom it misleadingly describes as the “majority”. This brazen behavior, especially in such a location, clearly reflects Moscow’s mindset and plans. It appears the Kremlin interpreted signals such as Trump’s retreat from his demands in the confrontation with Iran as a sign of weakness and decided to increase pressure on Washington from another direction in order to consolidate perceived gains. The idea seems to be: if it worked in the Middle East, now we can push our interests right on the doorstep of the United States:
“Russia is not going to “leave” the Western Hemisphere, no matter what is said in Washington. They are obsessed with the idea of pushing Russia — as well as China — out of this region. We consider the renewed version of the American Monroe Doctrine to be completely out of step with modern international relations. It is the very same neocolonial practice condemned by the overwhelming majority of the international community, including through the adoption of a relevant UN General Assembly resolution last year”, Ryabkov stated.
In short, the Kremlin feels itself to be in a position of strength — so much so that Russian officials are openly trying to dictate to the United States what policies it should pursue. They are also threatening to use proxies around the world to advance its agenda in international institutions. Moscow has, in fact, had some success in this regard. At the same time, it is clear that Russia fears losing another lever of influence over the United States in the Western Hemisphere — namely Cuba — which partly explains the aggressive tone.
The apparent failure of U.S. plans in Iran is likely to be used by Moscow to undermine trust in Washington globally, as well as to target domestic audiences within the United States — suggesting that any decisive foreign policy actions by the White House will lead both to geopolitical setbacks and to a decline in living standards for “ordinary citizens”. This narrative is likely to be particularly directed at U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russian forces, as well as support for NATO allies in Europe.
