Russia's Defense Ministry says it is considering the possibility of reestablishing Moscow's Soviet-era bases in Cuba and Vietnam.
Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov told Russian lawmakers on October 7 that the ministry is considering the possibility of establishing bases far from Russian borders.
In 2001, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to pull back from Cuba and Vietnam as he sought to bolster ties with the United States.
But U.S.-Russian relations have plunged in recent years to their lowest point since the Cold War amid strains over Syria and Russian involvement in Ukraine.
In November 2014, Russia reached an agreement with Hanoi for Russia's navy to use resupply facilities again at Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay.
Commenting on Pankov's statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "all countries assess those changes from the point of view of their national interests and take steps they consider necessary."
A Russian base in the Syrian port of Tartus and the resupply facility in Vietnam currently are the Russian navy's only outposts outside of the former Soviet Union.
