The Cuban-American senator Marco Rubio reacted to the announcement of the arrival in the coming days of a nuclear submarine in the port of Havana and asked President Joe Biden not to sit idly by.
The Florida state representative shared a message on his Twitter account in which he recalled that there has not been a Russian submarine with nuclear-capable missiles operating in the Caribbean for more than 30 years.
“So, if the regime in Cuba decides to allow one to stop at a port just 90 miles from our shores, the Biden administration must impose real consequences on them,” he demanded.
On Thursday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) of Cuba announced the next arrival at the port of Havana of several Russian Navy ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine.
Between June 12 and 17, there will be an “official visit” of a naval detachment of the Russian Federation, consisting of four ships: the frigate Gorshkov, the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, the fleet oil tanker Pashin and the rescue tug Nikolai Chiker.
MINREX specified that none of the ships carry nuclear weapons, so their stopover in the country “does not represent a threat to the region.”
The official note adds that the visit corresponds to the friendship between Cuba and the Russian Federation and that “it strictly adheres to the international regulations of which Cuba is a State party.”
“Visits by naval units from other countries are a historical practice of the revolutionary Government with nations that maintain relations of friendship and collaboration,” concluded MINREX.
On the other hand, the AP news agency revealed that the United States has been tracking Russian vessels and combat aircraft that are scheduled to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise.
Russia did not notify the United States about the upcoming maneuvers, but the US Navy has been tracking the movements of these vessels.
Two officials on condition of anonymity said the exercise is “without a doubt” part of a broader Russian response to U.S. support for Ukraine and an attempt by Putin to demonstrate that his Navy is still capable of projecting global power after losing several vessels in Ukrainian attacks.
