December 4, 2008 Putin: No bases in Cuba, Venezuela

MOSCOW (AP) - Vladimir Putin says he sees no need for Russia to build military bases in Cuba or Venezuela.

The Russian prime minister's statement follows a visit by President Dmitry Medvedev to those two countries. The visit coincided with Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises that were Russia's first in the Caribbean since the end of the Cold War.

Russia also is demonstrating its renewed influence in Latin America by sending a warship through the Panama Canal.

Putin was asked during a televised question-and-answer session on Thursday about the possibility of such bases.

He replied, "Today there is no necessity for the construction of bases on a permanent basis."

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