Russia Approves 38 Million Euro Loan for Cuba’s Military, Reports Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has greenlit a loan of 38 million euros (approximately $43.27 million) for Cuba’s defense sector, as reported by a senior Russian defense official on Wednesday.

The initiative was initially revealed in November following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Moscow.

This agreement has now been finalized, according to Dmitry Shugayev, head of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, in an interview with a Russian newspaper.

Reports indicated that Moscow intended to extend a loan to Cuba for the acquisition of Russian military equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, and potentially helicopters.

Cuba, which is governed by a communist regime, maintains a close alliance with Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, backed by Moscow, is currently facing increasing pressure from both the opposition and Western nations to resign.

Recent reports indicated that private Russian military contractors conducted clandestine missions on behalf of the state and traveled to Venezuela last month, with one source indicating they did so via Cuba.

In his interview, Shugayev expressed Russia’s concerns regarding the situation in Venezuela but emphasized that there are no plans to reduce defense collaboration with the country.

He also stated that cooperation with Venezuela focuses on the maintenance of previously supplied arms and the assistance in constructing military infrastructure.