Russia is quietly making moves to enlarge its influence in Latin America

NATO leaders and Russia have failed to reach an agreement to de-escalate tensions on the Russian border with Ukraine, and U.S. authorities reportedly believe that the Kremlin has already set the stage for a false-flag operation in order to create a pretext to invade. But the friction between the two sides might yet spill over into an additional battleground: Latin America.

During diplomatic talks in Geneva, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov floated the possibility of military deployments to Venezuela and Cuba. He recently compared the Ukraine standoff to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when the Soviet Union deployed missiles to Cuba, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of the island.

Mr. Ryabkov’s words this week suggest Russia could be party to a more literal revival of the tensions of 60 years ago.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan dismissed the remarks, though Russia is indeed trying to increase its influence in Latin America, which has waned since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

While Washington has deprioritized Latin America – and particularly South America – in its...