Three Russian naval ships and a nuclear submarine are being ceremoniously welcomed in Cuba. This is supposed to be just a normal port visit. However, the US government is watching the whole thing very closely.
Russian naval ships have officially arrived in Cuba’s capital Havana for a port visit. 21 salvos were fired when the frigate “Admiral Gorshkov” arrived off the coast of the Caribbean state, local media reported on Wednesday. A nuclear submarine was also spotted off the coast. Havana is only about 170 kilometers from Key West in the US state of Florida.
According to the Cuban government, the reason for the visit from June 12 to 17 is the historical friendship between the two countries. However, US media reported that Russia was planning military exercises in the Caribbean. A Russian oil tanker and a salvage tug were also expected in Havana. According to official information, none of the ships are said to have nuclear weapons on board.
US President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday on a flight to Italy for the G7 summit that Russian naval operations off Cuba had been observed in the past. However, he stressed that the US government was monitoring them very closely. “We will see how this all develops in the next few days.” It can also be assumed that Russia will repeat such actions in the future.
Lavrov meets Cuban colleague
According to the US newspaper “Miami Herald”, the US Navy deployed three destroyers, a coast guard ship and a maritime surveillance aircraft to observe the Russian ships. There are elements of the current exercise that differ from previous ones, said Sullivan. But it is not the first time that Russia has made a port visit to Havana with some of its naval units.
At the same time, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodríguez in Moscow on Wednesday. “We agree on the excellent state of relations between Cuba and Russia and the strengthening of economic and trade relations achieved, with the implementation of projects in various sectors,” Rodríguez wrote on the online platform X.
At the G7 summit in Italy, which begins this Thursday and is attended by US President Joe Biden, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is at the top of the agenda.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
