Sergei Lavrov’s Diplomatic Tour of Latin America: Strengthening Moscow’s Influence in the Region

After the Middle East, Asia, Africa, here is the stainless Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs on a diplomatic tour of Latin America. Sergei Lavrov’s objective is clear: it is to strengthen Moscow’s influence in this part of the world. He thus reconnects with the foreign policy of the USSR, which had developed close and ideological ties with countries such as Cuba, Nicaragua and later Venezuela.

Ties that have never been broken, including in terms of trade. Between 2000 and 2020, these exchanges have thus increased from 5 to 20 billion dollars. Sergei Lavrov will therefore discuss the economy with these states, but above all strengthen political ties with his traditional allies.

A major trip to Brazil

Beyond these expected and logical visits, there was the trip to Brazil. An important trip for Moscow in several respects. Brazil is of course the main economy of the continent, a member of the Brics like Russia. Since Lula’s election, the Kremlin knows it has a more conciliatory potential ally.

Brazil has great international ambitions, it has just made a rapprochement with China during Lula’s recent visit to Beijing. And above all, he makes his difference heard on the war in Ukraine: he does not apply Western sanctions, believes that the United States and Europe contribute to the prolongation of the conflict. And so, if Brazil is not an accomplice of Russia, its positioning is of great interest to Vladimir Putin’s regime.

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A timid American reaction

Faced with this Russian activism, Washington reacted surprisingly little. This is one of the paradoxes of the foreign policy of the United States, it is strategic before being geographical. Since the end of the 1990s, this backyard of the United States, as it was then called, has ceased to be a priority for Washington, which was nevertheless very active in the internal affairs of these countries. With the notable exception of Colombia, with which Washington has maintained very important economic and security ties.

Certainly, President Biden has made an attempt to change this state of affairs during his great forum on democracy, but without success so far. And so, instead of talking about a struggle for influence between Russians and Americans on the continent, we must rather speak of a vigorous offensive on the part of Moscow to consolidate this global anti-Western front that it is trying to build. against Washington and its allies. While, on the western side, the counter-offensive is more complicated than expected.