On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Russia sending a military deployment to Venezuela or Cuba if the US doesn’t give Moscow any security guarantees.
Ryabkov said he could “neither confirm nor exclude” the possibility of sending troops to Latin America. “It all depends on the action by our US counterparts,” he said.
Ryabkov’s comments were amplified by Western media, which highlighted the fact that any Russian deployments near the US would be viewed as a major provocation while US deployments near Russia are the norm. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan dismissed what Ryabkov said as “bluster.”
Russia wants the US and NATO to stop deploying troops near its borders and is seeking guarantees that would halt the Western military alliance’s expansion. But during talks this week, both the US and NATO flatly rejected the Russian demand.
Amid the Western negotiations with Moscow, some NATO states near Russia are calling for more troops on their soil. On Wednesday, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are in talks to increase the presence of NATO troops in the region. Both Latvia and Estonia border Russia, and NATO drills are often held in the Baltic countries.
“National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan dismissed what Ryabkov said as ‘bluster'”
Is he in for a surprise… The Russians are done with bluffing. Based on reports over the last day or so, Russia is already moving its forces to confront NATO on land and sea. Russia warships moved toward the Baltic states, while Russian forces are moving all along the border with Europe. In addition, Russia announced its bombers in Syria can locate and hit any target in the entire Mediterranean. It also announced that the Zircon hypersonic missile is being deployed on Russian warships and shortly in Russian submarines. As Andrei Martyanov has pointed out, this fundamentally changes the naval military balance as the Zircon simply cannot be intercepted by any US vessel. It’s quite possible that Russia will send Russian warships armed with the Zircon to friendly ports in Cuba and Venezuela, perhaps Iran and undoubtedly Syria.
As Martyanov also pointed out, the US lower 48 will not be exempt from possible missile attacks and the US population will finally find out what war is really like.
This.
Americans on TV casually discuss war with Russia with smiles on their faces.
I cannot make people understand that Russia has the power to level every major American city to the ground with or without nuclear weapons.
We are the closest we have ever been to having Washington DC and New York look like Libya and Syria do now.
MW:
I have to tell you, the entire situation scares the hell out of me and I live in a state that has a bunch of secret programs, so called…
Ladies and Gentlemen:
That’s INFOTAINMENT! …
peace chic-donna
Well,it’s natural course of action and most likely we will expect to witnesses another more deadly Cuban Missile Crisis-2 and the final one.
You keep snooping in my neighbourhood in Ukraine,so I would do the same in your neighbourhood in Cuba.
How come I am the only one seeing this coming! It’s rethorecal question,
bluster this, jake sullivan!!
Now, everyone on this site take a moment and think about this situation, in reverse, if you will… If the Russians were deploying near our territories, the US/NATO would raise the bloody rooftops. So, we just expect for Russia to sit there and not mind our activities??? WARS get started this way.
In America people not allowed think logically.
God will bless America and thank God I am American,
What a crap !
Well said, well said…. It is a crap… peace donna
Russia do it and send some long range missiles also
Russian officials must be reading antiwar.com. The comment sections have been loaded with suggestions that Russia send military assets near our boarders to retaliate against the real aggressors.
I’ve got a bad vibe on all of this…It seems we are primed for another World War. My radar is over the top….
Donna, don’t Worry…be Happy…! Exactly the opposite will happen… If Russia sends military assets to Cuba and Venezuela, a balance will be created and the hawks in DC would stop threatening Russia…!
Thanks Netman. It is my nature to worry, mostly about war…
The problem is that will take too long.
Russia wants NATO away from Russian borders IMMEDIATELY.
Putin and Lavrov have made it clear they will remove the NATO forces from their border with force.
They are not going to wait much longer.
I am reading alarming reports that Russia is sending troops to every border where NATO is currently stationed and running snap drills even in the far east.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43886/russia-orders-snap-drills-of-its-eastern-units-as-negotiations-over-ukraine-disintegrate
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10402007/Russia-holds-snap-combat-readiness-inspection-troops-cyberattack-hits-Ukraine-government-sites.html
Thanks for the info. and links MW. This is all very disconcerting news but good to know… peace chic
How about a Chinese base in Venezuela (they send a lot of money) or Brazil (they have huge seaborne trade)?
If you think the US would go nuts over the return of Russians to Cuba, just imagine its reaction to China.
mexico
with a naval base or two would be nice
I keep waiting for this situation to calm down, when in fact, it seems to be escalating….
The British have a saying, when something is overly irritating, they say: “You are getting on my tits!”
NATO is getting on my tits! I am American but the expression fits…
Wars get started this way… I have no desire to see a potential nuclear war between the US/NATO and Russia…
If I drink Russian Vodka (some of the best) during a nuclear war, will I get locked up?
It won’t matter, my ass will be grass anyway…peace-donna
Hey, what’s the deal here? We Murkins are allowed to do such things, but not youz guys!
A repeat of the Cuban missile crisis?
The Saker has come up with some reasons for Russia not to station strategic weapons in Cuba or Venezuela. They’re fairly good reasons involving the need for a SOFA, risks of stationing weapons in unstable countries, etc. I responded that short of stationing weapons in those countries, an equally valuable move would be to simply negotiate for those countries to allow Russia warship stopovers. The mere fact that a Russian warship or sub with 16, 36, or 72 hypersonic nuclear weapons has laid over in Cuba would be enough to make the US nervous.