As Obama Retreats Russia Moves In.

Gen. Niolai Makarov, chief of Russia’s general staff (pictured), visited Cuba in late September meetings with Cuban leader Raul Castro. A number of Cold War-like agreements were reached including:

• a decision by Russia to resume training at Russian military schools and training center for Cuban military personnel.
• Russian defense industries also will begin modernizing the Cuban military, according to press reports of the visit.

“The Soviet Union supplied a large quantity of equipment and armaments to Cuba. Many models have gone out of service and require repair and restoration. We decided what deliveries are needed,” Makarov told reporters after the talks.

Additionally, the Russians and Cuba may set up new facilities for the joint production of arms and ammunition as well as repair and modernization of military aircraft and armored equipment.

Konstantin Sokolov, vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, told the Russian news site KM.ru that based on public statements by the Russian military after the talks it is difficult to determine if Cold War level ties are returning between the two militaries.

“Cuba could play a very important role not only from the viewpoint of Russia’s defense potential in general, but in the intelligence system in particular,” Sokolov said.

“The point is that the base at Lourdes, which was closed on Russia’s initiative at the beginning of the 2000s, housed radio equipment that was an extremely strong information resource for decision-making in the military-strategic sphere. And we could revive this project now. Accurate information on the intentions of the probable enemy in the military sphere is in fact a surety of peace and a guarantee against attack. From the geographical viewpoint Cuba occupies an extremely advantageous position. In Soviet times, with the help of Cuban radar, we were able to ‘look right through’ America. Not only monitoring ballistic missile launches, but even listening to telephone conversations. Back then, we unilaterally closed our base at Lourdes, and almost received, by way of ‘returning the favor,’ an American radar in the Czech Republic. This was a big mistake. And after the Mir orbital space station sank into the ocean, our intelligence system finally degenerated. It has changed qualitatively. Although in fact we are talking about a strategically important matter.”

Russia also could use Cuba again for strategic bomber refueling and as a port call for Russian warships, he said.

The Russian advance into the Caribbean comes as Obama has retreated from defense commitments in Poland, Czech Republic and the Ukraine, and as Russia rejected sanction against Iran and its nuclear weapon’s program.