Guest Author
The United States stands at a pivotal moment in its foreign policy, one that demands boldness and clarity. Russia’s malign influence in the Americas poses a direct threat to U.S. national security and regional stability, through military collusion with U.S. adversaries, strategic economic coercion, and subversive political interference.
As the meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin takes U.S. negotiations with Russia into a new phase, Trump can seize this opportunity to demand Russia’s complete withdrawal from the Western Hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine remains a guiding principle: no foreign power should hold sway in our backyard.
Russia’s footprint in the Americas is neither benign nor trivial.
In Venezuela, Moscow has propped up the Nicolás Maduro regime with arms, advisors, and economic lifelines, working closely with this dictatorship to destabilize the region through weaponized migration and narco-trafficking. Russian military personnel and Wagner Group operatives have been reported in Caracas, training local forces and securing oil interests.
In Cuba, Russia has revived Cold War-era ties, modernizing military facilities and deploying naval assets, including nuclear-capable submarines, as a provocative signal to Washington. Thousands of Cuban troops are serving with Russia on the frontlines of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian military advisors are now discussing the deployment of nuclear-capable missiles to Cuba and Venezuela. Nicaragua hosts Russian military advisers and equipment, while Moscow’s disinformation campaigns amplify anti-American sentiment across Latin America.
Moreover, Russia can exploit its presence in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua to disrupt the Panama Canal and threaten access to the Gulf of Mexico, jeopardizing U.S. energy supply chains and trade routes. These moves are not mere opportunism; they are calculated efforts to erode U.S. influence and create strategic pressure points close to American borders.
The stakes are high. Russia’s presence emboldens authoritarian regimes, bolsters narco-terrorist militias, undermines democratic governments, and threatens regional security. Venezuela’s collapse into tyranny has driven millions of refugees into neighboring countries, straining economies and fueling instability.
Cuba’s dictatorship, emboldened by Russian support, continues to suppress dissent, incite subversion abroad, and export authoritarian methods. It played a key role in fomenting Venezuela’s plunge into tyranny and controls the nation’s military counterintelligence. Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega regime, backed by Moscow, has escalated repression while aligning with China and Iran, forming an axis of anti-American actors. Allowing Russia to maintain this foothold risks weakening U.S. credibility, emboldening adversaries, and fracturing our hemisphere.
Negotiations with Russia, which cover Ukraine, nuclear arms, natural resources, and global security, offer a critical leverage point. The U.S. must make Russia’s exit from the Americas a non-negotiable demand. Russia’s actions in the Americas are a direct affront to U.S. interests, and any deal that ignores this reality is incomplete. Trump should articulate a clear precondition in his meeting with Putin: no sanctions relief, no diplomatic concessions, and no adjustments of U.S. policy unless Russia fully withdraws its military, intelligence, and proxy presence from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
By linking Russia’s presence in our hemisphere to broader negotiations, Washington can force Moscow to weigh the costs of its regional ambitions against its core interests elsewhere.
Public opinion supports a strong defense of national interests. A rollback of Russian encroachment would resonate with voters as a geopolitical victory and an exercise of American strength. It would also signal to our neighbors in Latin America that the U.S. is committed to defending its interests and eliminating threats in our region.
In negotiations, Trump should make it clear to Putin: Russia’s presence in the Americas is a red line. The moment is ripe for Trump to build a lasting legacy that strengthens U.S. leadership and secures our hemisphere. He should seize it.
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Armando Ibarra is a public policy adviser, Director at the Foundation for Pan-American Democracy, and Founder of Advocacy + Insights.
