Russian Warships Set To Visit Havana Next Week.
Cuban officials recently announced that four Russian warships will arrive in Havana next week as a sign of “historically friendly relations” between both nations, amid escalating tensions over Western military support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. The event is expected to take place from June 12th through the 17th.
Among the four Russian vessels set to make their appearance are a nuclear-powered submarine and the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which was recently pictured in a file photo dated for this year. In addition, the fleet oil tanker Pashin and the salvage tug Nikolai Chiker will also be present during the event.
The Cuban foreign ministry emphasized that none of these ships will carry any nuclear weapons. Furthermore, they assured the public that their presence in Havana “does not represent a threat to the region.
This announcement came shortly after U.S. officials revealed that Washington has been monitoring Russian warships and aircraft expected to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise. According to these officials, the exercise is part of Russia’s broader response to the U.S.’ support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Moscow.
Despite concerns surrounding this increased Russian presence in the region, the U.S. officials stated that it was notable but not particularly alarming. However, their presence comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Russia might take “asymmetrical steps” elsewhere in the world to counteract President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons for striking targets inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city.
In response to this suggestion by Putin, Cuban Foreign Ministry confirmed that the four Russian ships mentioned earlier will be arriving in Havana next week. They further explained that during the fleet’s arrival at the port of Havana, one of the ships would fire 21 salvos as a salute to the nation, which would then be reciprocated by an artillery battery belonging to Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces.