October 29, 2001. Pravda
History repeats itself over and over again about Russia. "Russians, get
out!", - yelled the people of the Baltic countries in 1990. "Russians,
go home," - yelled the people in the Asian republics in 1991. "Russians,
get out of Cuba!", - were the screams in the capital of Cuba yesterday.
The demonstrations under anti-Russian slogans took place in Havana
yesterday. This was the reaction of the Cuban population to the withdrawal of
the Russian army base from Lourdes.
The reaction of the official Cuban authorities is not much different from
what could be heard in the streets of Havana, although it was shaped in the
smooth diplomatic forms. Cuba considered the withdrawal of the Russian army base
to be "a special present" from Vladimir Putin to American President
George W. Bush. This phrase says it all, Russia is called "American
bootlicker," insinuating with its recent enemy. The tone of the Cuban mass
media is the same.
It seems that Russia has been deprived of not only the military base in the
region but also of an ally. That base, by the way, received 75% of the entire
military and strategic information on America. Russia does not now have a
country with which we had good relations with before. A year ago, this seemed
impossible. Putin toured all the allies of the former USSR, and it seemed that
there was considerable progress in that respect. Putin visited the military base
in Lourdes as well, the base that is now being shut down according to his own
instructions. It is very surprising how Russia is making the relations with its
allies null and void. The local population in the unrecognized republic of
Abkhazia is protesting the withdrawal of the Russian troops, but the Russian
soldiers are leaving the territory of the republic anyway. Cuba asks not to
liquidate the army base, offering to revise the leasing conditions, but the base
is being removed. What other reaction may follow? |
