US Official Alarmed Mexico Could Host Russian Missiles

(NewsWorthy.news) – Russians broadcasting on the Kremlin’s State TV on June 9 referred to Mexico as a military ally and declared Moscow’s intentions to place missiles on Mexican soil that can be used to strike US territory.

Jake Broe, a former missile operations officer for the US Air Force, announced the news on X, calling it “insane”. Several days before the broadcast, media commentators were suggesting that the Kremlin could consider stationing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles in the Caribbean following NATO countries’ decisions to greenlight Ukrainian missile strikes on targets within Russia.

In May 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin ramped up his anti-western rhetoric following the comments by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French President Emmanuel Macron that told Kyiv it can decide how it uses weapons supplied by the countries. Putin responded to the “provocation” by ordering military drills and warned that Moscow may strike western targets.

Russian diplomacy has a sizable presence in Mexico compared to the latter’s presence in Russia, and has strengthened ties with the US neighbor considerably since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia currently has 72 diplomats in its embassy in Mexico City, compared to 46 at the US embassy and 38 at China’s in the country’s capital.

Martha Bárcena, who served as Mexico’s ambassador to the US between 2018 and 2021, highlighted the growth of anti-American sentiment in Mexico and its influence on President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. She added that the US should be worried that Moscow is, rather than seeking to destabilize the Mexican government, working to ensure it maintains a position of neutrality on the Ukraine conflict.

Though Mexico has officially condemned the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, it has not joined western powers in sanctioning Russia. The Russian State TV broadcast specifically discussed provocations from NATO members that encouraged more attacks on Russian soil, as well as the provision of more long-range weapons to Kyiv. The show challenged the White House’s shift in policy, having previously stated it does not approve of attacks within Russia, and the authenticity of its “limits” imposed on how far within Russia Ukraine is allowed to strike. US President Joe Biden recently clarified that he does not support Ukrainian strikes on Moscow or government buildings. Host Evgeny Popov questioned these claims, and suggested that support for such acts existed at the back of Biden’s mind.