Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this Thursday (12), during a press conference, that there is “no cause for concern” for the West about the possible creation of a military base in Cuba.
A journalist asked Peskov whether the Russian Federation planned to create a military base in Cuba, citing reports in Western media, to which the spokesman appeared to dispel the speculation.
“Military exercises are a normal practice in many regions of the world for all States, especially for such a large maritime power as the Russian Federation. Carrying out this type of maneuver is also a common practice, so we see no cause for concern in this case. That’s all I can say on this matter,” Peskov said.
On the other hand, Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, met with his Cuban counterpart, Ricardo Caspiraçãos, this Thursday in Moscow, said the Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova.
The statements come after a Russian Navy fleet, which includes a nuclear-powered submarine and a frigate, arrived in Cuba this Wednesday (11) in a sign of strengthening ties between the two Cold War allies.
Visit of the Russian fleet to Havana
The Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov, part of this four-ship fleet, was the first to arrive at the port of Havana, followed by the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan.
Upon entering the port, the frigate fired a 21-gun salute, which was answered by the Cubans with cannon fire from an 18th-century colonial fort built by the Spanish to guard the port of Havana.
The Gorshkov is one of the most modern ships in the Russian Navy. It is followed in this fleet by the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, the rescue tug Nikolai Chiker and the tanker Pashin.
This is Russia’s biggest show of force with its former ally Cuba in many years. The United States considers that the Kazan does not have nuclear weapons on board, according to an American official.
The ships will undertake a five-day official visit to the Caribbean island – a show of Russian force just 90 miles (144 kilometers) off Florida, as tensions between the US and Russia rise over the war in Ukraine.
Source: CNN Brasil
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