As Russia approaches pariah status in many countries around the world, it seems it can still count on the support of a small group of Western nations – Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela – and perhaps growing support from another Central American country.
The latest evidence of such support came at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Bolivia have joined dozens of other countries that abstained during a vote condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demanding that Moscow withdraw its troops “immediately, completely and unconditionally.”
Although Venezuela could not formally vote at the session because it had not paid its obligations to the UN for several years, it would almost certainly have voted against the resolution or abstained if given the opportunity.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week and has repeatedly said Putin has his “full support”. After the phone call, Maduro tweeted an old photo of himself and Putin shaking hands, accusing the conflict of “destabilizing NATO action.”
Although the parties did not vote against the resolution, abstentions were noticeable. This meant that each country chose not to declare an invasion illegal – and immoral – which most of the rest of the world agrees is a gross violation of international norms and laws.
Cuba and Nicaragua have been Russia’s longtime allies, with the Cuba-Russia relationship dating back decades. The Cuban government has blamed the current conflict on the United States and “NATO’s increasingly offensive military doctrine that threatens peace.”
Nicaragua, meanwhile, was one of the first countries in the world to officially recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine, two pro-Russian regions that Russia officially recognized shortly before invading Ukraine.
El Salvador’s abstinence was also indicative, reflecting the country’s leadership’s silence on the conflict since its inception.
President Naib Bukele was extremely vocal in the days leading up to Russia’s invasion, mocking US claims that an invasion was imminent.
“The boy who called the wolf,” Bukele tweeted on February 18, responding to US President Joe Biden, who said he believed Russia would invade in the next few days.
However, since Russia invaded, Bukele has remained silent on the issue.
Meanwhile, Latin America’s heavyweight division, including Mexico and Brazil, has drawn fire from critics who have accused the two countries of giving Russia a free pass.
Although UN delegations on both sides voted in favor of condemning the Russian invasion and the military withdrawal, Mexican President Lopez Obrador and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have stopped criticizing Putin or imposing any sanctions.
“We will not take on any economic repression because we want to have good relations with all governments around the world,” Lopez Obrador said. “It simply came to our notice then [the war] we are excited and believe that the best thing is to promote dialogue for peace.
Bolsonaro, who visited Moscow a few weeks ago, said his country “will not take sides”.
“We will continue to be neutral and help as much as possible to find a solution,” said the president, who will be re-elected later this year.