Cuba Is Still Waiting for Russia to Come Back

Cuba & the USSR had a long tradition of mutually beneficial & friendly relations. Under the influence of the US in the 1990s, Russia has withdrawn from cooperative agreements with Cuba. Flawed CIA analysis of sugar sales by Cuba & the issue of unpaid debt were used by the liberal reformists as a justification for abandoning the former ally. This led to the severing of economic & social ties. However, over a short period of time Cuba managed to overcome the fall in GDP & the loss of a major market, & found other trading partners. Cuba is a strategically situated country that possesses significant nickel deposits & is in need of Russian weapons, machinery spare parts, & technology transfers. Russia should seize the moment to make a comeback in Cuba, as a friend, an ally, & a reliable trading partner before the window of opportunity closes. Y. Tsaplina