A Russian warship visited Cuba last week as part of a training exercise.
This exercise is seen as Russia demonstrating its strength in response to the support provided by the United States and Western countries for Kyiv in the Ukraine war.
On the 17th, a Russian naval fleet, including a nuclear-powered submarine, left Havana Harbor after completing a planned military exercise in the Atlantic and a five-day visit to Cuba.
A few days ago, U.S. officials mentioned that these ships could also stop in Venezuela, but it remains unclear where the fleet’s next destination will be or where it will dock in the Caribbean.
The Biden administration announced last week that it had monitored the ships and confirmed that they did not threaten the region or indicate missile transfers.
Nevertheless, the United States docked the USS Helena submarine at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
Last week, Russian ships arrived at the port after the Russian Defense Ministry fleet reported successfully conducting military training simulating a missile attack on a target more than 600 kilometers (375 miles) away in the Atlantic.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the frigate on Saturday. He interacted with the sailors, according to a post by the president on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Last week, the State Department spokesperson said Russia’s visit to the Cuban port was “a routine naval visit” and did not pose any risk.
On the other hand, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío expressed reluctance and disapproval regarding the presence of the American submarine at the Guantanamo base.
The U.S. naval base is located in the southeast of the island, about 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) from the Cuban capital, Havana, and the Cuban government considers it illegally occupied territory.
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