The correct answer is - Russia.
The quotation in the newspaper refers to the country of Russia which was the successor of the Soviet Union. Cuba was a country that functioned under the wings of the Soviet Union, was protected military, supported diplomatically and financially, and also used as military base. Even though the Soviet Union fell apart, Cuba managed to keep its great relation with its successor, Russia, which continued to have a great influence in Cuba and bring many concerns to the United States even though Russia was in a terrible state at that time.
