An American submarine and a Canadian patrol ship arrived in Cuba after Russian ships
A Canadian navy patrol boat arrived in Havana on Friday night, hours after the US announced the arrival of a fast attack submarine at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The arrival of both ships came shortly after Russian warships arrived on the island earlier this week.
The simultaneous presence of the ships of the three countries on the communist island just 145 kilometers south of Florida recalled former Cold War frictions and strained relations between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine.
However, both the United States and Cuba said that the Russian ships do not threaten the region. Russia characterized the arrival of its ships in allied Cuba as a routine operation.
The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the half-submerged nuclear submarine Kazan, with their crew on board, entered Havana harbor on Wednesday after training with “high-speed missile weapons” in the Atlantic Ocean, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.
The Canadian patrol boat Margaret Brook began maneuvers Friday after entering Havana Harbor in what Canada’s Joint Task Force Command called a “port visit … in recognition of the long-standing bilateral relationship between Canada and Cuba.”
A few hours earlier, the US Southern Command reported that the high-speed attack submarine Helena had arrived at Guantanamo Bay, the US naval base on the edge of the island 850 kilometers southeast of Havana.
“The location of the ship and its transit were planned in advance”, the Southern Command announced on the social network Kh.
Cuba’s foreign ministry said it had been informed of the US submarine’s arrival, but was not happy about it.
“Usually naval visits are by invitation, but this was not the case. Of course, we do not like the presence in our territory of a submarine belonging to a country that has an official and practical policy hostile to Cuba.” – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernandez told Cossio.
At the same time, the Canadian diplomat called the arrival of the “Margaret Brook” “a normal thing and part of the long-standing cooperation between our two countries”, noting that it “is not connected with the presence of Russian ships”.
It will be recalled that Russia and Cuba were close allies during the times of the USSR, but the tension in relations with Washington reached its peak in the form of the Caribbean crisis in 1962, while Moscow maintained ties with Havana.
Asked what signal Moscow is sending, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the West does not seem to be picking up on the signals Russia is sending through diplomatic channels.
“As soon as it comes to military exercises, naval voyages… immediately we hear questions and a desire from the Western public to clarify what these “messages” are about. Why do only those signals that are related to the army and navy arrive ?”, – said Zakharova.
Russian warships are expected to remain in Havana harbor until Monday.
