Russia Sending Warships to the Caribbean for Naval Drills with Venezuela and Cuba

Amid rising tensions between Moscow and Washington, Russia is sending several warships for naval drills in the Caribbean alongside its allies, Venezuela and Cuba. This is according to the US government which has been tracking these Russian warships and aircraft, which are expected to arrive in the Caribbean Sea within the next few weeks.

These Russian warships are expected to make port calls in Venezuela and Cuba, though senior Biden administration officials have stated that these exercises are "notable but not concerning" as they will only involve a "handful" of Russian ships and support vessels.

As the Associated Press pointed out, this show of force from Russia comes as the US finally sends military support to Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russian aggression. President Joe Biden also recently allowed Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to Russia, with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin suggesting that the European power could take "asymmetrical steps" elsewhere in the world to respond to this.

US officials who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity admitted that these exercises are "certainly" part of a broader Russian response to the US support to Ukraine.

"We are expecting that Russia will temporarily send combat naval vessels to the Caribbean region and these ships will likely conduct port calls in Cuba and possibly Venezuela. There may also be some aircraft deployments or flights in the region," one official said.

It may also be an effort by Putin to show that the Russian Navy can still project power even after some humiliating losses in the Ukraine War, which included the country's most advanced warship, the Moskva.

Thanks to strikes from Ukraine over the last two years of the war, the Ukrainian military has stated that Russia has already lost a third of its once-feared Black Sea fleet. The sinking of the Moskva had proven to be the most humiliating one.

US Officials Expecting Russia to Conduct More Naval Exercises in the Region

Russia sending warships to the Western Hemisphere is nothing new, as the Putin-ruled country had sent warships to the region yearly from 2013 to 2020, according to Reuters. This latest one has been described as "routine naval activity."

"We should expect more of this activity going forward, although we note these deployments incur a cost on the Russian Navy, which is struggling to maintain readiness and conduct deployments with an aged fleet," said the US official.

Russia Recently Strengthened Ties With Venezuela and Cuba

Earlier this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a tour of Latin America and it included stops in several countries that are currently at odds with the US, especially Cuba and Venezuela.

In Cuba, Lavrov held meetings with President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla. He also met with President Nicolas Maduro and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez in Venezuela. Russia sent more oil to Cuba amid the country's massive energy crisis after the meeting.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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