Cuba Cracks Down on Rare Recruitment of Citizens to Fight for Russia in Ukraine
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Cuba announced the arrest of 17 people for recruiting Cubans to fight for Russia in Ukraine, a rare rebuke of Russia by its close ally.
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Cuba's Foreign Ministry said it detected a "human trafficking network" in Russia recruiting Cubans and was working to dismantle it.
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Cuba and Russia have long had strong ties since the 1959 Cuban Revolution, with Cuba's President Díaz-Canel praising Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
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An expert believes the Cuban government could have actually been involved in the recruitment deal with Russia despite its claims.
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Even with this potential disagreement, Cuba is unlikely to damage ties with Russia due to needing its economic support and sharing sanctions.