The United States Navy has made a show of force by having a submarine arrive in the waters near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a move that comes as a fleet of Russian warships gather in the Caribbean for military exercises. The USS Helena, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, docked in the waters near the US base on Thursday, just a day after a Russian frigate, a nuclear-powered submarine, an oil tanker, and a rescue tug crossed into Havana Bay following drills in the Atlantic Ocean. The stop is part of a routine port visit as the submarine travels through the Southern Command’s region, the US military command responsible for the region.
The Russian naval exercises come less than two weeks after President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested his military could respond with “asymmetrical steps” elsewhere in the world. The exercises are in international waters and are expected to remain in the region through the summer, possibly also stopping in Venezuela. Russia has a long-standing relationship with Venezuela and Cuba, and its warships and aircraft have periodically made forays into the Caribbean.
Joe Biden (Via Joe Biden/Twitter)
The US has been tracking and monitoring the Russian naval exercises, and Pentagon officials have indicated that they do not pose a threat to the United States. “This is not a surprise. We’ve seen them do these type of port calls before,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh. “We of course take it seriously, but these exercises don’t pose a threat to the United States.” The exercises are a demonstration of Russian military power and serve as a warning to other countries in the region.
The drills are part of a long-standing tradition of Russian military presence in the Caribbean.Russian warships 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 US and Cuban officials on the reopening of diplomatic relations.
The US Navy’s move is a show of force and a demonstration of its military presence in the region. The submarine’s arrival in the waters near Guantanamo Bay is a reminder of US military capabilities and a warning to other countries in the region. The move is also a response to Russia’s military exercises and a demonstration of US commitment to the region.
