Nelson Acosta
HAVANA (Reuters) – Havana residents watched from shore on Saturday as Russian warships arrived for the second time in as many months, a go to Cuba described as routine.
Cuban authorities fired pictures into the air in greeting, whereas curious fishermen watched from Havana’s seaside promenade because the boats headed towards the bay. Russian residents have been additionally among the many few who rose early to look at the fleet arrive.
The Baltic Fleet’s patrol ship “Novostrahim”, coaching ship “Smolny” and assist ships are scheduled to set off on Tuesday.
A quick assertion from Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces stated their arrival was routine.
In June, a Russian nuclear submarine, frigates and assist ships additionally demonstrated Moscow’s capabilities within the port of Havana, lower than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Florida.
“Russian deployments within the Atlantic don’t pose a direct risk or concern to the USA,” a spokesman for U.S. Northern Command stated, including that the command displays all delivery routes to North America.
U.S. officers say tensions between the U.S. and Russia have elevated since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, whereas Russian naval exercise, albeit routine within the Atlantic, has been exacerbated by U.S. assist for Ukraine.
In the meantime, relations between Chilly Battle allies Russia and Cuba have improved considerably because the communist-ruled nation struggles with an financial disaster it blames largely on U.S. sanctions.
Excessive-level contacts between the 2 international locations have reached the best stage for the reason that collapse of Cuba’s former benefactor, the Soviet Union, and Cuban President Diaz-Canel has visited Moscow 4 occasions.
Russia has despatched oil, flour and a rising variety of vacationers to the cash- and goods-starved Caribbean nation. Residents undergo every day energy outages and different struggling, resulting in sporadic protests and file immigration.
Ana Garces, a 78-year-old retiree, instructed Reuters she remembered the Soviet Union being the one nation to assist Cuba in the course of the 1962 missile disaster, when the world was getting ready to nuclear struggle and tensions between Cuba and Washington The connection is at its peak.
“We’re so grateful,” she stated. “Why do not we settle for it with open arms? That is friendship, and all types of ships are available right here.”
Her husband, retiree Rolando Perez, 71, added: “It exhibits how different international locations assist us and takes away a number of the world’s perceptions of our nation.”
