Russia sent Obama a blunt message about Cuba, and now Trump is giving the edge back to Moscow

Associated Press/Ramon Espinosa

• The US-Cuba rapprochement under President Barack Obama started discreetly, with few aware of the engagement.
• But Russia, Cuba's longtime partner, apparently expressed dismay about the potential thaw.
• President Donald Trump has largely reversed Obama's changes, which many see as a boon for Russian interests.

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After a first term where trips to Latin America were dominated by criticism of the US's Cuba policy, the Obama administration decided to pursue better ties with its long-isolated Caribbean neighbor after winning a second term.

In June 2013, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes and Ricardo Zuniga, the top White House staff member on Latin America and a Cuba expert, met with Cuban officials — including Raul Castro's son — for the first time.

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