Russia's Cooperation With Latin America to Counterbalance NATO Expansion

By pursuing defense cooperation with Latin American countries Russia will counterbalance NATO expansion in Eastern Europe, experts say.
During his recent Latin American tour Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed a number of important agreements strengthening military collaboration between Russia and Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. 

In Caracas, the Russian and Venezuelan defense ministers discussed further development of military and military-technical cooperation and agreed on holding joint military drills, while in Managua, Shoigu signed an agreement allowing Russia's warships to enter Nicaragua's ports and ratified bilateral deals aimed against drug trafficking and organized crime. In Cuba, Russia's delegation and its counterparts focused on maritime cooperation issues as well as training of Cuban military servicemen in Russia. While discussing global and regional security issues, the authorities of the countries pledged their commitment to a just and polycentric world order and recognized Russia's efforts of establishing peace and stability in the world.

Experts stressed that the agreements signed by Sergey Shoigu and his counterparts will form the basis for strengthening Russia's positions in South American region and bolster mutually beneficial defense cooperation between the countries. According to analysts, the move is a response to NATO's further expansion in East Europe. The president of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues, Gen. Leonid Ivashov praised the course of Russia's Defense Ministry, stressing that while NATO is moving rapidly toward the Russian borders, Moscow should develop its own non-nuclear deterrence strategy, containing a potential Alliance's aggression.

Sputnik
Russia's Cooperation With Latin America to Counterbalance NATO Expansion

Needless to say, the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are the US list for regime change.

Recalling history, when the US moved missiles into Turkey, Russia moved them into Cuba and the result was the Cuban missile crisis, the outcome of which is that both parties withdrew their missiles from each other's borders, but not before nearly causing a nuclear war that would have resulted in mutually assured destruction.