Russian warships leave Cuba, destination unknown amid tensions
Warships belonging to the Russian army began leaving the port in Havana, Cuba, on Monday. Experts suggest that the presence of Russian vessels so close to the US coast should be interpreted as a show of force, regarding Western help for Ukraine. The destination of the ships remains unknown.
8:01 AM EDT, June 18, 2024
Warships under the Russian flag docked in Havana on June 12. The first to leave the port in the Cuban capital was the submarine Kazan. The remaining three Russian vessels, including the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, are expected to set sail by Monday, Eastern Time.
It is unclear where the Russian vessels will go next. One possible destination is Venezuela, governed by a socialist regime friendly to Russia.
The AP agency linked the presence of the ships in the Atlantic with threats from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin that he would take retaliatory steps for US President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use American weapons to strike Russian territory in defense of Kharkiv.
Reuters reminds us, citing a US government source, that US authorities do not consider the presence of Russian ships in the Atlantic a threat but are closely monitoring their movements.
Russia seeks an ally at the US borders
According to commentators, Russia has recently deepened its cooperation with Cuba. The regime in Havana criticized on Friday the decision of the G7 leaders to grant Ukraine a loan of 50 billion dollars, to be repaid from the interest generated by frozen Russian state assets.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Cuba has been echoing the Kremlin’s narrative, accusing the US and the West of causing the war and fueling it by supplying weapons to Kyiv.
Source: PAP/CNN
