Putin is trying to capture some of the admiration for the Cuban Five.

The Cuban Five were convicted of "spying" in the United States, but they were never accused of spying on the United States. They spied on terrorist groups sponsored by the US that carried out attacks in Cuba. By prosecuting them, the US made a mockery of its supposed opposition to terrorism.

I gave my support to a campaign to free the Cuban Five, but what did Putin do for them? Probably nothing, until he got the idea of inviting them to Moscow so that some of their glory would rub off on him.