GORKI, January 27. /TASS/. There is no need to discuss the possibility of establishing Russian military bases in Cuba and Venezuela at the moment because such discussions are causing global tensions, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian media outlets, including TASS.
"I don’t think it’s right to talk about it at this moment because as a rule, it immediately causes significant tensions, at least in the economic field," he pointed out.
Medvedev stressed that the establishment of military bases in other countries "depends on the sovereign decisions of those countries." "We do have certain agreements with some countries about the presence of our troops, namely with Syria and some other states. However, it’s totally wrong to get ahead of things and say that we want to set up a base somewhere or have made an agreement on that because it can spark global tensions," the Russian Security Council deputy chairman noted.
"We maintain close relations with Cuba and Venezuela, they are our partners, the countries that pursue an independent foreign policy. They are absolutely sovereign countries. We can’t deploy anything there <...> simply because it should be in line with their geopolitical posturing and their national interests," Medvedev emphasized.
When speaking about the national interests of Cuba and Venezuela he said that the two countries "seek to break free from their isolation and to some extent restore normal relations with the United States." "This is why it’s impossible to deploy something there or create a base there as was the practice in the Soviet era when we had a common defense system involving a number of countries, which was based on a common ideology," the Russian Security Council deputy chairman concluded.