It looks the old style Cold war is being revisited all over again now with NATO expansion move and the renewal of old style collaboration between Russia and its allies. Russia is gradually but steadily trying to challenge an increasingly arrogant USA and to assert its own importance in world affairs and its right to secure its borders with the military might it has mustered over decades and its prime target is NATO which is focused on missiles in Eastern Europe, threatening Russian security. The looming independence of Kosovo and promises of quick U.S. and European recognition have undercut and infuriated Russia at a moment when this oil-rich behemoth is eager to show that its global clout has been restored. The Russians have repeatedly decried Kosovo's possible change in status as a "Pandora's box" that would destabilize Europe by setting off a chain reaction of shifting borders. Although Kosovo remains a frustration for Russia, it has outsmarted the West in Georgian standoff. In a way as to showcase its power, Russia intervened forcefully when Georgia attacked South Ossetia and is extending the global reach of its rebuilt military. Since becoming president, Raul Castro has generally avoided provoking the United States.
Trade & Cooperation
Constrained by NATO threat, Moscow under present President Medvedev is trying to revive the Soviet era allies in South America. Cuba and Russia have signed a series of bilateral trade and economic accords, in the latest sign of strengthening ties between the two countries and cooperation programs would last at least 12 years. The accords were signed during a visit to Cuba by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin - his third trip to the Caribbean island in three months. His visit came at the end of a tour that included Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Russia has offered Cuba assistance in renovating its transportation system, rebuilding its energy sector and acquiring a fleet of oil tankers; besides Russian participation in Cuban oil and gas projects, equipment manufacturers could also be involved. Investment in joint ventures in Cuba is also on the agenda. Russia also proposed renovating Cuba's car and bus fleet, which has a large number of Soviet-made vehicles imported during Cuba's years of cooperation with the Soviet Union. Russia has invited Cuba to join its satellite navigation system, Glonass - the Global Navigation Satellite System - is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian use.
The accords signed covered the automobile, nickel and oil industries, as well as the supply of wheat to Cuba. Sechin's visit came in advance of an expected visit to the region later this month by the Russian President, Dmitri Medvedev. some experts question how interested Cuba is in rebuilding close ties with Russia. Russian officials indirectly hint at close realignment ob Russo-Cuban resources, saying the government intended to begin basing Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack and Tupolev Tu-95 Bear nuclear bombers in Cuba. American strategists say sending the bombers would cross a "red line in the sand."
Russia was the first country to send humanitarian aid to Cuba earlier this year, after the island was hit by two major hurricanes. The latest agreements highlight the efforts by both countries to strengthen their economic ties. They add that renewed Russian interest in increasing co-operation with left-wing governments in the region - including joint naval exercises with Venezuela - also poses potential diplomatic challenges for the US administration, and for the President-elect, Barack Obama.
Cuban Missile Crisis- a reminder!
Those years of Cold war, the Cuban leader Fidel Castro in fact had terrorized US leaders by threatening to blast the USA, which in turn successfully pressed Soviet Union to shift the missiles out of Cuba. Moscow has been signaling that it wants to restore a long relationship with Havana that included not only economic ties, but military and intelligence cooperation. The relationship brought the world to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, when Russia secretly installed nuclear missiles on the island. Now, amid rising tensions over Georgia, Washington is increasingly concerned that Russia is moving to rebuild one of the most dangerous features of the old Soviet Union's security structure "“ its alliance with Cuba. Russian statements are partly bluster, intended to dissuade the United States and its allies from moving the NATO alliance and military equipment, including missile defense sites, closer to the Russian border.
As it rebuilds forces that withered during the impoverished 1990s, Russia also has been looking for new air and naval bases far from home. It is negotiating with Syria to resume use of naval bases in Tartus and Latakia. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said, "We need to reestablish positions in Cuba and in other countries" and in late July dispatched one of his closest aides, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, and a large delegation to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro. The meeting was primarily about economic cooperation, including possible oil exploration off Cuba. But Russian officials made clear that they were exploring resumption of other aspects of the relationship as well.
By way of challenging the NATO, Russian plans for strategic ties with Cuba again have put the NATO members in jeopardy. The general US view is that Russians are not seeking a new superpower standoff around the world, they do want primacy in the former Soviet sphere. As NATO has gone ahead with its proposed Missile program in Poland and Czech republish, Russia is making all out efforts to reach out to Cuba, reminding the USA of old Cold War years. Recently, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice complained about Russia's increasing reliance on its military to remind the world of its power. She criticized the Russian military advance into Georgia, a former Soviet republic, and its increasingly frequent patrols by long range nuclear bombers in U.S. and NATO-patrolled ocean lanes near northern Europe, Alaska and elsewhere.
A Nervous USA?
In the current environment, such contacts would make U.S. officials uneasy, serving as a reminder of a military relationship between Havana and Moscow that stretched from the Cuban revolution in 1959 until a weakened, post-Soviet Russia finally closed a massive electronic intelligence complex in Lourdes near Havana in 2001. The 28-square-mile Russian electronic surveillance complex at Lourdes was Russia's largest such base overseas, and reportedly had as many as 1,500 Russian engineers, technicians and military personnel working there. Less than 100 miles from Key West, Fla., its position made it ideal for snooping on the U.S. The Russian government ended its involvement there in 2001 because of its high cost as well as the strain it exerted on U.S.-Russian relations.
However, the White House feels the Kremlin will never declare a renewed Cold War, because they cannot afford it. USA considers Russia less strong then itself on the basis of the assumption that Russia spends just 2.7% of its gross domestic product on defense "“ unlike the Soviet Union, which at the height of the Cold War spent 40%.1962 Cuban missile crisis is still freshin US mind. US think that it might seek to restore its once-energetic intelligence cooperation with Havana, and to resume limited military cooperation, possibly including refueling stops for aircraft and warships, US doubts the Russians would risk stationing nuclear bombers on Cuba.
Postscript
Obviously, emerging new Russia-Cuba ties do worry unilateral U.S. Many see it obviously as very Cold War retro and a return of Russian ships or planes could force additional U.S. deployments in the region. However, the White House feels the Kremlin will never declare a renewed Cold War, because they cannot afford it. Some neocon specialists view the latest Russo-Cuban development as a declaration of a new Cold War on the part of Russia. Several Bush administration officials who have been hawkish on Russia say they find the Cuba ties worrisome as Cuban intelligence activities pose a concern even without rekindled Russian ties. But the US administration, CIA-Pentagon declined to comment publicly on the implications. Cuba, however, remians a nightmare for most of the Americans, both offical and ordianary.