Putin pledges to help Cuba explore for offshore oil

[dipsydoodle]

Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to help revive Cuba's struggling offshore oil exploration on Friday at the start of a six-day tour of Latin America as Russia aims to reassert its influence on the communist-ruled island.

Putin was joined in Havana by close ally and so-called Russian oil czar Igor Sechin, the chairman of state oil company Rosneft, to finalise a deal to explore for oil off Cuba's northern coast.

The Russian president also promised to reinvest $3.5 billion of Cuban debt with Russia into development projects on the island, part of a deal in which Russia forgave 90 percent of Cuba's debt, or almost $32 billion, most of it originating from Soviet loans to a fellow communist state.

Both measures inject much-needed foreign investment into Cuba and demonstrate an act of defiance against the United States, which maintains a 52-year-old economic embargo that effectively shuts out many Western companies from doing business in Cuba.

"We will provide support to our Cuban friends to overcome the illegal blockade of Cuba," Putin said.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/07/11/uk-cuba-russia-idUKKBN0FG23420140711

[Sunlei]

1. Can we please free Cuba, or we will have

A PITA not free Putinland right off the coast of Florida.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Wouldn't reach that point

aside from which there's China too who are perfectly happy with long term leases. Hopefully Russia and China will have everything sewn up long before the US realises the selfishness of its own stupid actions.

[Sunlei]

4. no, I do not think we should tolerate any of the "not free" countries like russia/china

moving into any countries (Cuba) so close to us.

IMO, some Americans (RW ? koch & company?) invest in these 'not free' countries, and in turn can cause a lot of trouble to our country. Damage to our economy if it means lower profits to them. They abuse the worker population, basic human rights of any country they invest in, the same as china/russia abuse their lowest paid workers.

Putin is not spear heading this 'oil deal' with Cuba. He has some hidden advisers and imo some of his hidden advisers are Americans

[dipsydoodle]

6. Close to you.

Not me. Best just deal with it.

[Sunlei]

7. I'm not in Miami anymore. No, I do not like the idea of Putins, foot in the door of Cuba.

[dembotoz]

3. stupid policy produces stupid results

cuba is going to be a gold mine for someone
should have
could have
been the us because of location location location.

[Sunlei]

5. you're right and good point, "location location location."

When I flew in cargo planes , Miami to South America- you fly right over Cuba.

Makes the hair rise on the back of my neck to read that Putin is mucking about in Cuban business.

[Takket]

8. Great. I'm sure Putin will not be shedding any tears when...

Deep Horizon repeats itself on the Florida coast.

[Johnyawl]

9. Neither will the Koch Brothers.

[Sunlei]

10. or another Chernobyl disaster., Putin grew-up with & is a product of the soviet union type gov.

Chernobyl disaster

The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities of the Soviet Union.