A fleet of Russian warships have reached Cuban waters ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean. Some see their deployment as a projection of Russia's strength as tensions grow over Western support for Ukraine.
Russian warships reach Cuban waters ahead of military exercises in the CaribbeanA fleet of Russian warships reached Cuban waters on Wednesday ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean that some see as a projection of strength as tensions grow over Western support for Ukraine.
Russia is a longtime ally of Venezuela and Cuba, and its warships and aircraft have periodically made forays into the Caribbean. But this mission comes less than two weeks after President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, prompting President Vladimir Putin to suggest his military could respond with "asymmetrical steps" elsewhere in the world.
Russian ships have occasionally docked in Havana since 2008, when a group of Russian vessels entered Cuban waters in what state media described as the first such visit in almost two decades. In 2015, a reconnaissance and communications ship arrived unannounced in Havana a day before the start of discussions between U.S. and Cuban officials on the reopening of diplomatic relations.
Russian military and defense doctrine holds Latin America and the Caribbean in an important position, with the sphere seen as under U.S. influence acting as a counterweight to Washington's activities in Europe, said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"It is almost unthinkable that Maduro will risk actually losing power," said Evan Ellis, Latin America research professor with the U.S. Army War College.
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