On Wednesday, Havana harbour welcomed Russian navy vessels, a move dismissed by both the US and Cuba as non-threatening, yet perceived by many as a form of Russian intimidation amidst escalating tensions over the conflict in Ukraine. As the visiting ships navigated past the historical 400-year-old Morro castle at the gateway to the harbour, they were met by small clusters of intrigued locals and fishermen.
The initial arrivals included a refuelling vessel, the Akademik Pashin, and a tugboat, the Nikolay Chiker. A Russian navy frigate and a nuclear-powered submarine were also anticipated to join them by midmorning, after completing missile exercises in the Atlantic en route to the island, as reported by Russia’s defence department a day earlier.
Cuba, under communist administration, assured last week that the naval visit from Russia, one of its allies, was a routine occurrence. Both Cuban and US governmental sources confirmed that the visiting ships were nuclear-free. A US representative, who did not wish to be named, reassured Reuters late on Tuesday, “We have been monitoring the ships’ paths closely,” and added, “At no point have the ships or submarine posed a direct threat to the United States.”
Given that Havana is only 160km from the Key West, a Florida location that houses a US naval air station, the timing of the visit appears to be more meaningful than just “standard practice”, according to American University professor, William Leogrande, particularly considering the ongoing debate in the Biden administration about the extent of support needed for Ukraine in its conflict against Russia.
Professor Leogrande interpreted the naval stopover as a reminder from [Vladimir] Putin to Biden that Moscow can, indeed, assert itself within Washington’s area of influence. Notably, this takes place as Cuba faces its worst socio-economic crisis in decades, grappling with scarcity of vital supplies, including food, medicine and fuel, and a surge in popular discontent. “This…has echoes of the Cold War, but unlike the first Cold War, the Cubans are drawn to Moscow not by ideological affinity but by economic necessity,” Leogrande stated.
In Cuba, the weight of history is always present, particularly when it comes to the nation’s relationship with Russia and its former entity, the Soviet Union. The Cuban missile crisis of 1962, triggered by the Soviet Union’s retaliatory action of deploying ballistic missiles to Cuba in response to US missile placements in Turkey, nearly escalated into a full-blown nuclear war.
Nowadays, the bond between Russia and Cuba is once more gaining momentum. May saw the Cuban leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel, land in Russia for his fourth meeting with Russian President Putin, where he expressed Cuba’s unwavering support for Moscow at a military parade event.
To help curb Cuba’s fuel scarcity, Russia sent over 90,000 metric tons of oil to Cuba in March. Moreover, Russia has pledged to lend a hand in an array of initiatives in Cuba, encompassing everything from sugar production to infrastructure and from renewables to the tourism sector.
Anticipations are for the Russian navy vessels to stay anchored in Havana till June 17th.
– Reuters
(c) Byline Thomson Reuters 2024