Russian Warships to Arrive in Cuba Next Week

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Facts

• A group of Russian naval ships — including the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan — will make a port call to Havana next week, Cuba's Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces said.¹
• The Kazan and three other Russian vessels — none of them equipped with nuclear weapons — will reportedly visit the port of Havana between June 12 and 17.²
• The ministry said the deployment 'corresponds to the historical friendly relations' between Havana and Moscow and 'adheres to the international regulations,' adding that the warships don't represent any regional threat.³
• According to an unnamed senior White House official, the exercises near the US coast are 'part of Russia's regular military exercises,' and Washington doesn't consider the maneuvers to be a threat to the US.⁴
• The announcement comes after Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin warned Moscow may take 'asymmetrical steps' globally in reaction to Washington's decision to authorize limited Ukrainian strikes inside Russia with US-supplied weapons.⁵
• Along with the Kazan, the frigate Gorshkov, the fleet oil tanker Pashin, and the salvage tug Nikolay Chiker will participate in the drills. Cuba and the US are just 145 km (90 miles) apart at their closest point.⁶

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²CNN, ³Reuters, ⁴Eurasiantimes, ⁵Associated Press and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Eurasiantimes. It's not the first time that Russian warships are visiting Cuba, nor do the naval exercises pose an immediate threat. Moscow's primary goal is to prove that it's still capable of projecting its military power globally, and its failure to notify the US of the drills proves its hostile geopolitical posture. However, Moscow's aging fleet, already struggling to maintain operational readiness and conduct deployments, reveals that Russia is overestimating itself in its expansionist policy.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by PressTV. The Russian military drills are, first and foremost, a testament to the traditionally close and friendly Russia-Cuba ties. It would be ironic for the US to exaggerate the maneuvers, as it's the US that deploys its military around the globe at will to protect its so-called 'rules-based order.' Although the warships' presence poses no threat to the US, it's a powerful reminder that the world has entered a multipolar age and that the US, with its proxy wars, has never been more vulnerable.

Predictions