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Lavrov in Latin America: Russia’s Bid for a Multipolar World

As Russia tries to undermine U.S.-led order, Lavrov’s visit offers a glimpse into Moscow’s new foreign policy vision.

By: Kirk Randolph

Publication Type: Analysis

This past week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov completed a four-country tour of Latin America to reinforce Moscow’s alliances and foster growing partnerships in the region. During the trip, Lavrov met with the heads of state of Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba in their respective countries, as well as another meeting with Bolivian emissaries during his stop in Venezuela. Lavrov used the opportunity to emphasize the key tenet of Russia’s newest foreign policy concept that was launched in the past month and is shared by regional powers like Brazil: The world is experiencing a revolution in which Western power is weakening and a new multipolar world is emerging.

USIP’s Kirk Randolph discusses what Russia and its Latin American partners gained from the tour, how the United States might respond to Lavrov’s visit, and what the implications are for broader Russian foreign policy goals.

What has Russia accomplished with Lavrov’s visit?

Lavrov’s tour was principally about strengthening relationships and building momentum behind Moscow’ concept of a multipolar world outside of the current U.S.-led liberal order typified by institutions like the IMF and NATO. The majority of the trip was spent with autocratic allies Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, where Lavrov reinforced their regimes and condemned the United States for its ongoing sanctions against those states and their officials.

Lavrov worked to distinguish Russian engagement in Latin America by insisting that they do not want to create an “ artificial dilemma: with us or against us ” based on the position countries have taken on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In fact, the opposite is true, as Lavrov attempted to use the war in Ukraine as a strategic wedge between the United States and its Latin American allies. He argued that by encouraging Latin American countries to distance themselves from Russia and support Ukraine, the United States was engaging in a form of bullying and imperialism.

The most important stop of the tour was Lavrov’s visit to Brazil. President Lula’s chief advisor and former foreign minister, Celso Amorim, visited Moscow last month, and both exchanges focused on the potential for Brazil to serve as a mediator for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

While Brazil voted in the U.N. to condemn Russian aggression, President Lula has made recent statements that both parties to the conflict are responsible for the war — a characterization contradicted both by Brazil’s prior stance and Russia’s unilateral invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov extended an invitation to Lula for an official state visit to Russia, which prompted the Ukrainians to follow up with an invitation of their own — welcoming Lula to see first-hand the destruction Russia had inflicted on Ukraine. President Lula has declined the invitation and, in his stead, will send Celso Amorim at a future date.

What have Russia’s Latin American partners gained from Lavrov’s visit?

No significant projects or agreements were announced during Lavrov’s tour. Statements focused on emphasizing Russia’s respect for Latin American countries’ sovereignty while highlighting areas for new and more robust cooperation between Russia and its partners to support Russia’s vision of Latin America as one of the emergent centers of the multipolar world.

In Brazil, Lavrov celebrated the two countries’ trade relationship and indicated they are working on building out more extensive economic cooperation across multiple sectors, including agriculture, nuclear power and pharmaceuticals. Russia is likely seeking to rebuild supply chains that were disrupted by Western sanctions by engaging in the ongoing global trend of “friendshoring,” which is the strategy of insulating economies from disruptions by consolidating critical supply chains in allied countries.

In Venezuela, Lavrov built on Russia’s aspirations for new supply chains in Latin America by reiterating earlier commitments to revive the ministerial dialogue mechanism between Russia and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, a regional bloc of countries notable for its inclusion of frequently excluded countries like Venezuela and Cuba. He also spoke to Russia’s belief that Russia and their partners are creating a “ critical mass of ideas ” for solving global problems outside the confines of Western debate and institutions, citing support for de-dollarization and BRICS — the acronym for the economic cooperation bloc made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

In Nicaragua, Lavrov celebrated the two countries’ landmark agreement for the peaceful use of atomic energy signed back on March 29 — a notable development in an alliance characterized by ongoing economic and security integration based on agreements signed in 2022. Lavrov also pointed out that a Nicaraguan delegation would be participating in Russia’s upcoming St. Petersburg Forum meant to attract business to Russia, as well as participating in a Russia-Latin America interparliamentary conference with the Russian State Duma later this year.

Meanwhile, the Russia-Cuba alliance remains stronger than ever as Lavrov announced that Cuba’s Russian-held debt had been restructured and that discussions had progressed on the supply of fuel and food to the island.

What does Lavrov’s visit to Brazil reveal about BRICS coordination?

Coordination among BRICS countries continues to deepen in the face of the West’s efforts to politically and economically isolate Russia. Lavrov’s arrival in Brazil followed on the heels of Lula’s weeklong visit to China, during which former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was sworn in as the new president of the BRICS-funded New Development Bank based in Shanghai. Analysts have identified “ circumventing the geopolitical impact of Western retaliations against Russia ” as one of the top two challenges for the bank going forward.

Within Latin America, Uruguay is poised to join the group, while Nicaragua and Argentina have expressed interest in joining BRICS in advance of the group’s upcoming summit in June.

In addition to BRICS economic cooperation, President Lula has put forth a peace proposal calling for a G20-like group that would include all of the BRICS nations to negotiate a peaceful conclusion to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

This foray onto the broader international stage reflects a slightly disjointed approach to the war among BRICS member states, as fellow member China has also made its own overtures as a potential mediator. The two approaches aren’t necessarily in competition, as Lula’s interest in inserting himself into the conflict appears to be grounded in his own desire to cement a legacy as a generational senior statesman. Beijing, on the other hand, is likely to take a more conservative approach, allowing Lula to act as the more public-facing advocate for a negotiated settlement while China maneuvers behind the scenes. This would offer China a chance to distance themselves from any failed efforts or claim credit for any potential successes. For the time being though, neither approach has a serious chance and both are more posture than serious proposal.

India continues to remain determinedly vague on Ukraine, committing itself only to supporting a peaceful resolution, while South Africa is currently sowing confusion on the international stage as the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, declared they would be withdrawing from the ICC. His office has since walked back the statement, so it remains unclear whether Putin will be able to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in South Africa given the outstanding ICC warrant for his arrest.

How does this affect U.S. policy toward Latin America?

Russia’s principal interest in Latin America is political. It aims to influence the region so that it can chart a global path that is impervious to U.S. influence.

Russia itself has neither the resources nor the bandwidth to become a major partner in Latin America capable of competing with U.S. investment. However, the arguments Russia makes for multipolarity resonate within the region and can ultimately influence countries away from the United States even if the alternative ends up being China rather than Russia.

Displacement of U.S. influence is not as straightforward as Russia or others make it seem, though, given the deep economic, cultural and familial ties between the region and the United States. U.S. policy is now presented with a twofold challenge: First, how does the United States adjust policy toward middle powers like Brazil to be more inclusive and patient? And second, how does the United States help strengthen regional democracies so they can better deliver on the issues citizens care about — particularly in the face of growing autocratic securitization models that are accelerating democratic backsliding in the region?

The United States needs to pivot away from treating middle-power allies in Latin America and elsewhere as part of a patronage network and instead engage with them as meaningful partners. In the case of Brazil, Lula seeks a multipolar world and is not afraid to use Ukraine as a way to reinforce the current trend toward a less one-sided global balance of power. But the United States should stress to Lula that independence means independence, and he should not fall under the sway of others as he seeks to chart a course away from the United States.

Lula is also faced with challenging regional and domestic problems, like inequality, environmental degradation and a deeply polarized and charged political environment in Brazil. Rather than setting up an all-or-nothing approach to get Lula to align or shift toward a particular side on an issue, the United States should build on the depth of its bilateral relationship to focus on regional and bilateral issues of mutual concern that will resonate broadly with the Brazilian people. This could then buy the United States more space when it engages on issues pertaining to Ukraine, China and Russia.   

Meanwhile, there are other topics, like Venezuela, where Brazil’s influence and its independence from the United States, China and Russia could be helpful to a solution. Lula’s support for democratic norms is important in both setting an example and reinforcing democracy against the current wave of backsliding in the region. 

Brazil also stands to gain from a stronger partnership, as it requires assistance in maturing as a regional power. The world has changed since Lula was last in power, he cannot simply declare himself as the principal representative for the region. He has to work inclusively with other Latin American governments to provide regional public goods and to act as a mediator in regional conflicts. After years of political turmoil and the country’s most recent isolationist president, Brazil has a capacity gap in being able to fill that void. The United States can act as a key ally in helping Brazil fulfil its regional ambitions.

The United States, due to its complex history of involvement in Latin America, is often viewed with skepticism — particularly when it tries to raise earnest concerns about the autocratic influence of countries like China and Russia in the region. The United States needs a partner like Lula, whose voice carries weight within the region when speaking out against autocratic behavior due to his own personal fight against military rule in Brazil.

U.S. outreach and an effort to build a more collaborative foreign policy in Latin America does not guarantee acceptance or success, but the invitation in and of itself represents progress. The democratic leadership of Brazil has called for a more inclusive and representative voice in the region. And as a defender and promoter of democratic norms, the United States has a vested interest in responding to that call.

Kirk Randolph is a program officer with USIP’s Latin America program.

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Russia's foreign minister visits brazil on a swing through latin america.

Carrie Kahn

Brazil is offering to be a peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine as Russia's foreign minister pays a visit to Brazil's capital Brasilia.

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Russia's Lavrov Lashes Out At US On Latin America Visit

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Russian Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov kicked of a Latin American tour in Cuba

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov railed Monday at Western "blackmail, ultimatums, threats" against countries like his own and ally Cuba, where he kicked off a Latin American tour.

Lavrov, who will also visit Venezuela and Brazil -- hosting a G20 foreign ministers meeting -- told Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez in Havana that both nations were victims of "illegal pressure" from the US and its allies.

"The realities of a multi-polar world... are provoking an aggressive reaction from the United States and other countries of the world minority which by all means want to preserve their domination, hegemony and diktat," he said.

"The means used by representatives of the United States and other Western countries for this purpose do not include diplomacy, but blackmail, ultimatums, threats, the use of brute military force and sanctions."

The US has maintained a trade embargo against Cuba since after the revolution led by Fidel Castro six decades ago, and instituted strict sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

"Cuba knows first-hand what illegal pressure is: a total embargo which the United States alone defends as a legitimate course of action," said Lavrov, on his ninth visit to Cuba -- the second in a year.

"It is unacceptable to all other members of the world community. But that does not stop Washington," he added.

Russia and Cuba have strengthened ties since 2022, with an increasingly isolated Moscow seeking new diplomatic and trading partners.

In November 2022, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel traveled to Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

And in April 2023, Diaz-Canel assured Moscow of "Cuba's unconditional support" in its "clash with the West." Cuba has never criticized Russia's assault on its neighbor.

Cuba, under US embargo since 1962, is facing its worst economic crisis in three decades, and has received Russian oil to help ease a crushing shortage of fuel.

Cuba and the USSR were close allies during the Cold War, but that cooperation ended abruptly in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet bloc.

As they work on repairing ties, the allies have signed cooperation agreements in the areas of construction, information technology, banking, sugar, transport and tourism.

According to Russian figures, commercial exchanges with Cuba reached $450 million in 2022, with 90 percent of that in sales of oil and soybean oil to Havana.

Last September, Cuba announced it had made arrests over the alleged trafficking of its citizens to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

No information on the investigation has been forthcoming ever since.

Lavrov will meet Diaz-Canel before traveling to Venezuela on Tuesday and then Brazil for the G20 summit.

Russia's Lavrov Lashes Out At US On Latin America Visit

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov railed Monday at Western "blackmail, ultimatums, threats" against countries like his own and ally Cuba, where he kicked off a Latin American tour.

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Russian foreign minister Lavrov visits Nicaragua’s Ortega

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Jesus Vargas)

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Wednesday with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, and the two commiserated about U.S. sanctions.

The United States announced new sanctions Wednesday against three Nicaraguan judges who stripped 222 exiled opponents of their nationality.

Ortega told Lavrov that his government isn’t concerned.

“We already have hundreds of officials under sanctions ... this doesn’t cause them any concern or fear anymore,” Ortega said.

Lavrov responded that “sanctioned people in Russia take it as a recognition of their effectiveness” in defending Russian interests. Lavrov’s remarks were translated from Russian to Spanish by a government-provided translator.

Russian officials and oligarchs were hit by sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Lavrov repeated Russia’s warnings about Western expansionism and said he expected Nicaragua “to be a strong pillar in the world that is being formed,” adding “multipolarism is a process that cannot be stopped.”

In recent years, Ortega’s government has essentially arrested all domestic political opponents as well as priests and a bishop.

On Feb. 9, Ortega’s government released 222 opposition figures from prison and deported them, saying their Nicaraguan citizenship would be revoked and their property confiscated. Rights groups say that is an example of banishment, a violation of international norms.

Lavrov began his tour of Latin America on Monday with a stop in Brazil, where the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking to simultaneously develop ties with China, Europe and the U.S. while keeping an open door to Russia. During a visit to Dubai, Lula said that Russia and Ukraine share responsibility for the war.

Lavrov met Tuesday with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and was expected to visit Cuba on Thursday.

'Russia Is Seen As Challenger of Unipolar World': Experts on Lavrov's Visit to Latin America

Brazil, a key country in the region

"Brazil belongs to a different category, in its case we are talking about a different relationship, because Brazil is part of the BRICS group along with Russia, China, India and South Africa . So here we can talk about a different interaction, which is more directly related to the trade and economic spheres, as well as to the repositioning of these states in the search for a world order that is changing from unipolar to multipolar," he stressed.

"Brazil intends to do two things: first, to use the BRICS channel to maintain and increase economic flows between these countries, including, of course, India and China; and second, Brazil offers itself – within the same BRICS group and together with China – as a country that negotiates a peaceful settlement of the conflict [in Ukraine]. This is why it is important for Brazil to see this, in other words, so it [Brazil] has more geopolitical space, so it can make itself known loudly," he explained.

"It is necessary to understand how payments in national currencies will function. It is necessary to understand why we need such a large number of reals, which we can get, what we will do with them then, where they will go. Although the idea is correct, given that the dollar and the dollarization of the economy is one way to simplify the US sanctions policy," says the head of the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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Lavrov’s Brazil visit highlights Lula’s neutral foreign policy despite US dismay

Brasília encounter, like Brazilian president’s recent trip to China and offer of peacemaking in Ukraine, is part of diplomatic reset

Russia’s minister of foreign affairs, Sergei Lavrov, is due to arrive in Brasília on Monday for talks with his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, in the latest of a series of bilateral encounters likely to ruffle the US.

Lavrov arrives just as Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, returns from a state visit to China, and both missions are part of a diplomatic reset Lula has pursued since returning to power this year, as he strives to recover Brazil’s international reputation after his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, dismantled Brazil’s established tradition of cooperation.

For Brazil , that means rebuilding and maintaining ties with all partners, regardless of geopolitical tensions elsewhere.

“To return to international politics, Brazil must have positive relationships with all countries,” said Rubens Duarte, coordinator of Mundolab, a Brazil-based research centre for international relations. This is coherent with Brazil’s traditional pursuit of multilateralism , he added.

It is a pragmatic approach too: Brazil’s top trading partners are China and the US, while the South American country relies heavily on Russia for fertiliser imports.

But Lula also harbours more ambitious foreign policy objectives and even aspires to Brazil playing a peace-brokering role in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Lula first floated the possibility during a meeting with Olaf Scholz in January, when he rebuffed the German chancellor’s request for Brazil to contribute ammunition to Ukraine’s war effort.

He has since raised the idea of a “peace club” of neutral countries with a number of foreign leaders including the US president, Joe Biden, and, during his postponed trip to Beijing last week, Xi Jinping. He sent his top foreign policy adviser, Celso Amorim, to discuss prospects for peace with Vladimir Putin on a discreet trip to Moscow at the end of March.

Gestures like these and Lavrov’s visit – part of a Latin American tour that will take him to Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, bastions of anti-US sentiment – do not sit well in Washington.

Although Brazil voted to condemn the Russian aggression at the United Nations in March, Lula has often been ambivalent about the conflict. He recently suggested Ukraine should consider giving up Crimea to achieve peace and Speaking to reporters in China on Saturday, he said the US should “stop encouraging the war” and that the European Union “must start talking about peace”.

“Lula’s approach to the issue in Ukraine, both in substance and rhetoric, is causing a lot of mistrust in Washington and other western capitals in Europe,” said Bruna Santos, director of the Brazil Institute at the Wilson Center, a Washington-based thinktank.

In Brazil, the approach to the war in Ukraine is seen as part of a longstanding foreign policy tradition of neutrality.

And this would not be Brazil’s first attempted foray into international peace negotiations under Lula: during his first stint in office, between 2003 and 2010, his government sent a peacekeeping mission to Haiti and in 2010 attempted to broker a nuclear deal with Iran alongside Turkey.

“Brazil’s relations with Russia are very solid, […] but I don’t think this really changes Brazil’s position. Even if it was a war involving countries that Brazil does not have a strong relationship with, it wouldn’t change, as Brazil has always had a position as a peacemaker, as a mediator,” said Guilherme Casarões, a professor of international relations at the Fundação Getulio Vargas university.

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Russia’s lavrov due to start a tour of latin america to shore up axis of evil.

Kremlin’s foreign minister expected to make stops at Cuba, Venezuela, and Brazil.

Russia’s minister of foreign affairs, Sergey Lavrov, will travel to Cuba, Venezuela, and Brazil starting Monday — and it bodes nothing but trouble.

The first stop is Communist Cuba. Mr. Lavrov will meet with Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, and foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, the Kremlin says.

Cuba and Russia “have a special relationship,” a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Elliott Abrams, tells the Sun. Security cooperation between the two intensified following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. 

In 2022, the Cuban government blamed America for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow’s demand for troops in the war has led it to recruit foreign mercenaries, and Cuba has become a target as Cubans look to escape poverty. Mr. Lavrov will have a day to convince Havana to send him additional troops.

Russia’s naval activity in Cuban ports last year and China’s spy base on the island highlight the presence of the “axis of evil” in Latin America. “It’s an unholy alliance” of “narcotrafficking criminals,” a graduate fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Daniel Di Martino, tells the Sun.

On the second day, Mr. Lavrov will alight at Caracas to meet Venezuela’s Marxist president, Nicolás Maduro, and vice president, Delcy Rodríguez. Mr. Maduro also plans to visit Russia this year.

Mr. Lavrov’s trips to Venezuela and Cuba are “like the priest making his rounds in his parish,” Mr. Abrams, who under president Trump, served as special representative to Venezuela, tells the Sun.

America “forgot about Latin America, but Russia and China did not,” says Mr. Di Martino, who was born and raised in Venezuela. “Russia will be the one who benefits from what happens in Venezuela,” he says.

Eight days before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Venezuela issued two statements on its foreign ministry website, one to reaffirm “unreserved support to Russia in conflict with Ukraine” and the other to strengthen “the path of powerful military cooperation” between Venezuela and Russia.

In October, America lifted a number of sanctions — the removal of the debt-trading ban being permanent — against Venezuela given the idea that President Maduro’s deal with the opposition marked the dawn of free and fair elections. The recent ban on leading opposition candidate Maria Machado does not portend well for those prospects.

Venezuela’s recent record of repression is piling up: expelling United Nations human rights officers from its territory; detaining and disappearing a human right activist, Rocío San Miguel; barring Ms. Machado from holding office; threatening neighboring Guyana’s Essequibo region with a troop build-up on the border.

Mr. Abrams says he is concerned about the troop build-up. “It’s an old playbook, trying to gain popularity by starting a war — not inconceivable that Maduro would try that,” he says.

Bondholders and the White House believe that sanctions on purchasing debt only benefit adversaries by displacing American investors. Mr. Abrams says it is “more important to oppose dictatorship in Latin America than to support Chevron,” which has capitalized on the relaxation of sanctions.

Mr. Abrams says the Biden administration “has an obligation to reimpose the sanctions” noting that the “concessions to Maduro have failed, simply failed.” Mr. Di Martino agrees, “Maduro has increased repression and in exchange, gets money from American oil companies.” 

Mr. Lavrov will conclude his trip with two days in Brazil for the G20 foreign ministers meeting. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, “is aligned with Russia in seeking a multipolar world” with a “stronger role for bodies such as Brics and G20,” an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute, Daniel Batlle, tells the Sun. Brics was created by Russia in 2009 to promote investment in emerging economies and challenge the American-led world order. 

Mr. da Silva “will do nothing to support democracy in the western hemisphere,” says Mr. Abrams. He tells the Sun, however, that the Biden administration should be discussing Venezuela’s military buildup with Brazil. “Lula would be a good person to tell Maduro ‘don’t even think about it.’” 

Mr. Di Martino says otherwise, “it’s a mistake for America to think that we can pull Lula into our orbit.” Why else, he asks, would Mr. da Silva allow Mr. Lavrov into his country while waging war against Ukraine? The only way to change this, he says, “is if there are different people in charge.”

Mr. Lavrov will be courting his partners in the western hemisphere this week against the American-led world order. The visit, says Mr. Batlle, “highlights the importance that Latin America has for Russian efforts to advance its vision” and “counter American influence.” 

Both Messrs. Abrams and Di Martino mention how important the region is to America. American interests “lie in the promotion of the hemisphere of freedom,” says Mr. Abrams. Latin America could be a free and prosperous region, Mr. Di Martino says, “that would be great for America.”

Mr. Diamond is a fellow at the Yorktown Institute. He has written for, among other papers, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Hill, National Review, and the Boston Globe.

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He will meet with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that Sergei Lavrov will visit Cuba, Venezuela, and Brazil next week.

RELATED:  Russia Issues Arrest Warrant for Estonian PM Kaja Kallas

On Feb. 19, Lavrov will be in Cuba, where he will meet with President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, said Russian diplomat Maria Zakharova.

The next day, the Russian foreign minister will visit Venezuela as part of his tour of Latin American countries.

During this visit, Lavrov will meet with President Nicolas Maduro and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. The Russian delegation will also hold negotiations with the Bolivarian diplomats.

US Waging War Against Rules-Based Order Dissenters - Sergey Lavrov Washington and the collective West are causing "tensions" by refusing to give up their dreams of an "unviable unipolar world model" and their "exceptional status," the Russian FM said at the Russian State Duma's… pic.twitter.com/V6GArOifEh — RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 14, 2024

Lavrov's trip to Caracas comes amid preparations for Maduro's visit to Russia, which was initially scheduled for late 2023.

Maduro's last visit to Russia took place in September 2019, at a time when the Caribbean nation was experiencing a difficult economic situation caused by the U.S. arbitrary sanctions against the Bolivarian revolution.

Starting on Feb. 21, Lavrov will make a two-day visit to Brazil, where he will participate in a meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Twenty (G20) in Rio de Janeiro.

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Ukrainian Attack on Bakery Is a Terrorist Act: Russia

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Russia's Lavrov arrives in Cuba on Latin America tour

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived Monday in Havana, Cuban authorities said, as he kicks off a Latin America tour that will also take him to Venezuela and Brazil.

Russia and Cuba, both subject to Western sanctions , have intensified their relations since 2022, with an isolated Moscow seeking new political allies and trading partners since its invasion of Ukraine.

Lavrov "arrived today in Cuba. This is his ninth visit to our country," the country's foreign ministry said in a brief statement.

A newspaper belonging to the island nation's ruling Communist Party said the visit came as "both nations face intensified economic and commercial sanctions by the United States and some of its allies."

Cuba has been battling sky-high inflation and shortages since the pandemic , which -- plus a tightening of US sanctions in 2021, combined with structural weaknesses -- sent the economy into a tailspin.

The two countries have signed around a dozen agreements to relaunch trade relations in construction, information technology, banking, sugar, transport and tourism.

It is Lavrov's second visit to Cuba in a year, following a November 2022 trip by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to see his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

In April 2023, Diaz-Canel assured Moscow of "Cuba's unconditional support" in its "clash with the West."

The two communist entities were close allies during the Cold War , but that cooperation was abruptly halted in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet bloc.

According to Russian figures, commercial exchanges between the two countries reached $450 million in 2022, with 90 percent of that in sales of oil and soybean oil to the island nation.

Lavrov will meet with Diaz-Canel before traveling to Venezuela on Tuesday and then Brazil for the G20 summit.

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The Concept of “Harmony” in Chinese Foreign Policy

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov started his Latin America tour with his visit to Brazil on April 17, 2023. As part of the tour that started with Brazil, Lavrov; He visits Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. In the message released by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the subject, it is stated that Lavrov will hold official meetings with the leaders and foreign ministries of the relevant states, as well as with high-level representatives. Therefore, it was emphasized that a busy schedule awaits Lavrov. In a similar statement, it was stated that Lavrov flew to the region with a concrete agenda aimed at strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in political, commercial, economic, educational, humanitarian, cultural and other fields. Finally, in the statement, it was pointed out that the countries to be interviewed plan to strengthen the international legal institutions of the modern world, which is the structure on which the United Nations (UN) Charter is based. [1]

In this context, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, which are among Lavrov’s stops, are countries known for their long-standing opposition to the West and close relations with Russia. On the other hand, the countries to be visited are those that did not sided with Ukraine within the scope of the Russia-Ukraine War and did not participate in the sanctions imposed by the West against the Moscow administration, including Brazil.

Among the mentioned countries, it can be argued that Brazil has the most normal relations with the West. Therefore, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won the Brazilian general elections in the last quarter of 2022, was expected to develop good relations with the West. As a matter of fact, in the coup attempt organized against him in the first quarter of 2023, Western states gave messages of support to Lula. But Lula takes a neutral stance in the Russo-Ukrainian War. So that; Lavrov’s visit to Brazil comes shortly after Lula’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

As will be remembered, after meeting with Xi, Lula stated that the only solution to the crisis between the parties is negotiation and dialogue. In addition, Lula, unlike Western actors, refrained from offering any conditions for negotiations to the Moscow administration. [2] Therefore, it can be argued that Brazil’s policies began to conflict with the West and the West did not find the support it hoped for from Lula. In this context, Brazil aims to maintain its relations with both the Russia-China axis and the West at a normal level.

On the other hand, Russia has clearly stated that it has long opposed the Western-centered conduct of international relations. Therefore, it has determined one of its main goals in the international arena as breaking the Western hegemony in this field. Accordingly, it can be said that strengthening the international legal institutions, which is expressed as one of the objectives of the negotiations to be held, refers to Russia’s aim to remove these institutions from the Western axis.

As it can be understood, the ties to be developed with the anti-Western Latin American countries for the Moscow administration and the relations to be developed with the countries that carry out a policy of balance between the West and the Russia-China axis, such as Brazil, are very important for the Kremlin, which is seeking support for the war in Ukraine.

For Russia, Latin America is a geography that offers opportunities to create spheres of influence dictated by powers like Russia. With this, Moscow is also in the desire to develop bilateral cooperation with the regional capitals.

The importance of Lavrov’s visit to Venezuela is due to the fact that both countries are exposed to Western sanctions. As it is known, Russia and Venezuela, which are energy producers, are experiencing some difficulties in energy exports due to the sanctions imposed on them by the West. The two countries, which define each other as strategic partners, are in an effort to strengthen and deepen their cooperation with the motive of seeking new markets where they can export their energy resources.

Lavrov’s other stop is Cuba, which is among Russia’s strategic partners. Here is a remarkable anecdote. Because the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to Cuba coincides with the date of the Cuban presidential elections. Current Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, whose country is in the worst economic crisis of the last 30 years, hopes to be elected president for the second time. Therefore, on the way to overcome the economic crisis, Diaz-Canel visited Russia in the last quarter of 2022 and signed various oil supply agreements. While Cuba has been embargoed by the United States of America (USA) since 1962; Russia is also seeking to develop its strategic partnership with this country.

Nicaragua, another stop of the Russian Foreign Minister’s visit to the region, is one of the most important geopolitical centers in Latin America for the Kremlin administration. For the USA, Nicaragua is a transit country for land transportation to the South American continent. For this reason, the visit made by Lavrov to Nicaragua is a response to the visit made by US President Joe Biden to Kiev. Also, for all these reasons, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is recognized as one of the Kremlin’s most critical allies.

As a matter of fact, Russia is one of the few countries that recognizes Ortega’s administration, considering the result of the Nicaraguan general elections held in 2021 as legitimate. Similarly, Ortega is one of the rare leaders who supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [3] This attitude of Ortega causes Nicaragua to become increasingly isolated in the international arena and to seek new allies, and this brings about the deepening of Nicaragua’s relations with Russia.

On the other hand, in terms of Russia, Brazil is in a different position from other countries. Because Brazil, which is among the BRICS countries, is one of the emerging economies of the world. Due to this position, Brazil is among the countries that challenge the Western-centered world order, in which the USA is the hegemonic power. It fulfills this challenge through the relations it has developed with China and Russia. In this context, one of the important issues between the two countries is to trade in a currency other than the dollar. Russia and Brazil, the USA’s ability to maintain its hegemony in the international system and, as a result, to impose sanctions on regimes that do not match their own values; connects it to the dollarization of the economy and therefore tends to the search for dedollarization. On the other hand, Russia wants Brazil, whose interests overlap in the long run, not to take any action that would harm the common interests in the Russia-Ukraine War. The fact that Brazil maintains its neutral stance and does not cooperate with the West is one of the issues that Russia attaches importance to.

As a result, Russia wanted to be isolated from the world with the effect of the war in Ukraine; It tries to convey the message that it is not alone through its allies in Latin America. In this context, Brazil under the leadership of Lula, who is already in the BRICS, traditional allies Cuba and Venezuela, and Nicaragua, where relations are deepening day by day with the policies implemented by Ortega, can be described as the main partners of the Moscow administration in the region. Lavrov’s visit is also very important in terms of revealing this.

[1] “Canciller ruso inicia este lunes una gira por Brasil, Venezuela, Nicaragua y Cuba”, Prensa , https://www.prensa.com/impresa/mundo/canciller-ruso-inicia-este-lunes-una-gira-por-brasil-venezuela-nicaragua-y-cuba/, (Date of Accession: 17.04.2023).

[2] “Lula reafirma su apoyo ante Xi: “Brasil quiere que la relación con China trascienda más allá de lo comercial”, Prensa , https://elpais.com/internacional/2023-04-14/lula-reafirma-su-apoyo-ante-xi-brasil-quiere-que-la-relacion-con-china-trascienda-mas-alla-de-lo-comercial.html, (Date of Accession: 14.04.2023).

[3] ““Estamos con usted”, le dice Ortega a Putin en ocasión de su cumpleaños 70”, Swiss Info , https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/ucrania-guerra_-estamos-con-usted—le-dice-ortega-a-putin-en-ocasión-de-su-cumpleaños-70/47960598, (Date of Accession: 06.10.2022).

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Russia tells US ambassador it will retaliate over Sevastopol missile strike

Moscow blames US, says retaliation will ‘definitely follow’ after US-supplied missile attack kills at least four.

Russia has blamed the United States for a “barbaric” attack in Crimea that relied on US-provided missiles and killed at least four, including children, and wounded 151 others.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday and accused the US of waging a “proxy war” and said retaliatory measures would “definitely follow”.

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Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has persistently claimed that it is effectively fighting a proxy war with the West. Speaking to reporters on Monday, US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US provides Ukraine with weapons so that it can defend its sovereignty and that Tracy conveyed regret over any civilian loss of life.

A recent decision by the US allowing Ukraine to use weapons it supplies on targets inside Russian territory risks escalation and will incur “consequences”, the Kremlin said.

The Ukrainian attack on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula was conducted with five US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, the Russian Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.

It added that four had been shot down and that a fifth had detonated in midair. The ministry claimed that US specialists had set the missiles’ flight coordinates on the basis of information from US spy satellites. There has been no response from the US, which began supplying Ukraine with the missiles earlier this year. There was no immediate response from Kyiv.

“Such actions by Washington … will not be left without response,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday as it summoned the ambassador. “There will definitely be response measures.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the attack “absolutely barbaric” and said in a news conference that Moscow would react to the US involvement.

“You should ask my colleagues in Europe, and above all in Washington … why their governments are killing Russian children,” he suggested to reporters present.

‘Consequences’

Peskov also referred to comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin about arming countries to potentially launch strikes on Western targets.

Last week, he agreed to a military alliance pact with North Korea, causing alarm among Western allies .

Russian officials have recently warned that the Ukraine war is entering its most dangerous phase to date. Putin has repeatedly warned of the risk of a much broader war involving the world’s nuclear powers.

But directly blaming the US for a deadly attack on Crimea – which Russia annexed in 2014 and now considers to be Russian territory, although most of the world considers it to be part of Ukraine – is a step further.

“We perfectly understand who is behind this,” Peskov said, adding that it was clear who supplied weapons to Ukraine, aimed them and provided data for them.

“Of course, the involvement of the United States in the fighting, as a result of which peaceful Russians are dying, cannot but have consequences,” Peskov said. “Which ones exactly, time will tell”.