Russia's allies question Moscow's support amid Ukraine war strains
Russia's closest partners, from Venezuela to Iran and Cuba, are reassessing the worth of Moscow's backing after a string of crises exposed Vladimir Putin's government's inability or unwillingness to intervene effectively. The clearest warning came from Venezuela, where a U.S. operation captured President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, highlighting flaws in the security network Caracas built with Russian and Cuban aid, and revealing Moscow's limited power projection while fixated on Ukraine.
Russia's Foreign Ministry expressed extreme concern over Maduro's capture, calling it an unacceptable violation of sovereignty, but Putin himself stayed publicly silent, according to sources tracking Kremlin reactions. Behind the scenes, Venezuelan officials griped that their security ties with Moscow proved a paper tiger, pointing to perceived failures in Russian and Cuban intelligence and poor performance of Russian-supplied air defense systems, per Bloomberg reports republished by The Economic Times and echoed elsewhere. The New York Times cited U.S. officials saying Venezuelan S-300 and Buk systems were unlinked to radars during the U.S. strike.
Washington ramped up pressure on Russia-Venezuela energy networks too. U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged tanker Bella 1, renamed Marinera on January 7, with U.S. European Command confirming the move as sanctions enforcement.
In Iran, where unrest has flared and Washington issued fresh warnings, Russia limited itself to statements without force deployments. Reuters, republished by Internazionale, quoted Moscow's Foreign Ministry deeming U.S. strike threats absolutely unacceptable and warning against using externally inspired unrest as pretexts for attacks like those in June 2025. Analysts note Moscow's calculations prioritize avoiding risks to its Ukraine position. Syria offers the starkest recent example of ally vulnerability: Bashar el-Assad fled to Moscow after his government's December 2024 collapse, showing how swiftly Russian support can vanish.
Cuba faces similar pressures. President Donald Trump explicitly linked Venezuela unrest to leverage on Havana, warning no more Venezuelan oil or money and demanding Cuba strike a deal. The island's worsening economy heightens fears that Russia, consumed by Ukraine, cannot fill the gap.
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