Canada Navy ship, US attack sub dock in Cuba on heels of Russian warships
- In Reports
- 10:27 PM, Jun 15, 2024
- Myind Staff
A Canadian Navy patrol ship arrived in Havana early on Friday, mere hours after the United States announced that a fast-attack submarine had docked at its Guantanamo naval base in Cuba.
This followed the arrival of Russian warships on the island earlier in the week, serving as a stark reminder of Cold War-era tensions and the strained relations between Russia and Western nations amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The confluence of Russian, Canadian, and U.S. vessels in Cuba—a Communist-run island nation just 145 km (90 miles) south of Florida—served as a reminder of old Cold War tensions and the strained relations between Russia and Western nations over the Ukraine war.
However, both the U.S. and Cuba have said the Russian warships pose no threat to the region. Russia has also characterised the arrival of its warships in allied Cuba as routine.
On Wednesday, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, half-submerged with its crew on deck, sailed into Havana harbour. According to Russia's defence ministry, they had been conducting "high-precision missile weapons" training in the Atlantic Ocean.
Canada`s Margaret Brooke patrol vessel began maneuvers early on Friday to enter Havana harbour, part of what the Canadian Joint Operations Command called "a port visit ... in recognition of the long-standing bilateral relationship between Canada and Cuba."
Hours earlier, the U.S. Southern Command announced that the fast-attack submarine Helena had arrived at Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. naval base located at the southeastern tip of the island, approximately 850 km (530 miles) from Havana, for a routine port visit.
"The vessel's location and transit were previously planned," Southern Command said on X.
Cuba's foreign ministry said it had been informed of the arrival of the U.S. submarine but was not happy about it.
"Naval visits to a country are usually the result of an invitation, and this was not the case," said Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío.
"Obviously we do not like the presence in our territory (of a submarine) belonging to a power that maintains an official and practical policy that is hostile against Cuba."
A Canadian diplomat characterized the Margaret Brooke`s arrival as "routine and part of long-standing cooperation between our two countries", adding it was "unrelated to the presence of the Russian ships."
Russia and Cuba were staunch allies during the Soviet era, and tensions with Washington over communism in its "backyard" reached a peak during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Moscow has continued to maintain diplomatic ties with Havana.
When asked about the message Moscow was sending, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova remarked on Thursday that the West often seemed indifferent to signals Russia sends through diplomatic channels.
"As soon as it comes to exercises or sea voyages, we immediately hear questions and a desire to know what these messages are about," Zakharova said. "Why do only signals related only to our army and navy reach the West?"
The Russian warships are expected to remain in Havana harbour until Monday.
Image source: Reuters
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