The continued Russian invasion of Ukraine has implications for freedom around the globe — and close to the U.S. border. Putin has made clear that his ambitions lie well beyond Ukraine. At this critical moment, the people of Cuba, long accustomed to authoritarian geopolitics, are watching with particular concern.
As members of Congress consider the national security supplemental bill, they must note that the Cuban-Russian alliance continues to threaten instability much closer to home.
The already-desperate human rights situation in Cuba is deteriorating, and the economic hardships only grow. The regime’s response has been to increase its cooperation with and dependence on Russia.
Cuba's regime has long allowed Russian companies to use land on the island. Now the two countries are collaborating to limit the effects of international sanctions by creating a state-owned marketplace. While this means that more Russian oligarchs may find themselves vacationing in the Caribbean, it is unlikely that any of these new deals will improve the lives of the Cuban people.
But the newly reinvigorated Cuban-Russian relationship is not just a business deal — it is also a military collaboration. Just a few months ago, the communist regime in Havana was sending thousands of Cubans to join the Russian military and training Cuban soldiers in Belarus.
The communist regime in Cuba says that its support for Russia is unconditional, a position that could open a new front in Russia’s conflict with NATO mere miles from the U.S. coast.
Abandonment of allies can have serious consequences. For example, the cancelation of U.S. support of the freedom fighters at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 resulted in the nuclear missile crisis of 1962. The resulting Kennedy-Khrushchev agreement consolidated Castro’s communist regime in our hemisphere and spurred the creation of guerrilla movements throughout Latin America and beyond.
The U.S. made a commitment to Ukraine in 1994. The U.S. and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest Memorandum, pledging a guarantee of Ukraine’s security. Ukraine returned its nuclear arsenal to Russia, with the assurance that it would not stand alone when facing a threat to its sovereignty.
Now, Ukrainians are engaged in a deadly struggle in defense of their freedom and their territorial integrity. The U.S. must not flinch. We must continue our position of solidarity with Ukraine, not only to honor our pledge to an ally, but to protect the national security interests of our country and our people at home.
If the totalitarian and autocratic regimes of the world, like the one in Havana, are committed to fortifying the Russian cause, the U.S. must be equally committed to aiding the Ukrainians who fight to hold an increasingly tenuous line against them.
If the U.S. abandons its ally, these regimes will be emboldened to redraw borders and undermine democracy wherever they see fit. And although the world is rightly concerned by a more aggressive China or Venezuela, those of us dedicated to resisting the Cuban dictatorship are particularly aware of the dangers of a stronger Cuban-Russian alliance.
An emboldened Russia in Ukraine is an empowered Russia in Cuba.
Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat is the coordinator of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance and the national secretary of the Cuban Democratic Directorate.
If Congress abandons Ukraine, Cuba's communists will take full advantage
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24.01.2024
The continued Russian invasion of Ukraine has implications for freedom around the globe — and close to the U.S. border. Putin has made clear that his ambitions lie well beyond Ukraine. At this critical moment, the people of Cuba, long accustomed to authoritarian geopolitics, are watching with particular concern.
As members of Congress consider the national security supplemental bill, they must note that the Cuban-Russian alliance continues to threaten instability much closer to home.
The already-desperate human rights situation in Cuba is deteriorating, and the economic hardships only grow. The regime’s response has been to increase its cooperation with and dependence on Russia.
Cuba's regime has long allowed Russian companies to use land on the island. Now the two countries are collaborating to limit the effects of........
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