US nuclear submarine arrives at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
On the second day of the visit of the Russian naval fleet to Cuba, the United States dispatched the Helena nuclear powered rapid attack submarine to the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay. According to the Associated Press on the 13th, the United States' move is clearly a display of force and a "demonstration" in response to the Russian submarine fleet's visit to Cuba.
According to reports, the US Southern Command issued a statement on the 13th stating that the docking of the USS Helena near the US Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay is a pre planned "routine port visit" within the jurisdiction of the Southern Command, as part of the mission to ensure global maritime security and defend national defense interests.
"The visit of the Russian submarine fleet is a 'complete provocation'," commented the ABC website on the 13th. On the 12th local time, the Russian Northern Fleet, consisting of the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov", the nuclear submarine "Kazan", the oil tanker "Pashen" fleet, and the salvage tugboat "Nikolai Chikel", completed exercises using high-precision weapons in the relevant waters of the Atlantic and arrived at the port of Havana, Cuba for a visit.
On the surface, the United States seems to be deliberately downplaying the threat of Russian naval fleet visits, but there are still some actions taken. The United States dispatched several destroyers and P-8A anti submarine patrol aircraft for tracking and surveillance. According to the 13th report on the website of the United States Political Daily, Havana Port is only about 180 kilometers away from the US coast. The Russian naval fleet also conducted military exercises during their visit to ancient China, using computer simulations to launch high-precision missiles against hypothetical enemy targets 600 kilometers away, which has a strong deterrent effect.
The US Consumer News and Business Channel reported that the tension between the US and Russia has been "exceptionally severe" several weeks after the US allowed Ukraine to use its weapons to directly strike targets within Russia. The Russian naval fleet visited Cuba to warn the United States that "Russia can challenge it within the scope of American influence.".
Russia has also responded to various speculations from the US side. Russian News Agency reported on the 13th that Russian President's press secretary Peskov stated on the same day that the visit of Russian naval fleets to Cuba is a "normal operation" and should not be a reason for certain concerns such as those of the United States. Holding military exercises is a normal phenomenon in various regions of the world, especially for maritime powers like Russia.
According to reports, when asked what kind of "information" the Russian naval fleet hopes to convey to the West during this visit, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said on the 13th that when Russia sends "information" through various channels such as politics and diplomacy, the West seems to have never seen it as a "signal" and turned a deaf ear to it. But once it involves Russian military exercises, naval navigation, and other content, the West will immediately question and hope that the Russian side will clarify the meaning of these "information". "Why can only signals related to the Russian military be transmitted to the West?" She said that the Russian side hopes that the "signals" and "messages" already sent will not be ignored, but can be delivered to the "recipients".
On the 14th, Jabarov, the First Vice Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federal Council, stated that the Russian naval fleet conducted exercises and visited Cuba mainly to remind the United States that Russia will not remain indifferent to the threats it faces and that the United States needs to be clear about the consequences of direct conflict with Russia. If necessary, the Russian naval fleet may even extend their stay time. If requested by Cuba, Russia may establish military bases in Cuba. This is likely to provoke a strong reaction from the US side.
On the 14th, Russia's "Military Observer Network" analyzed that the joint non strategic nuclear power exercise between Russia and Belarus, as well as the visit of the Russian naval fleet to Cuba, are all signs of Russia's tough stance towards the United States and NATO. While continuously strengthening and consolidating its domestic and peripheral defense capabilities, Russia is also carrying out strategic breakthroughs. The visit of the Russian naval fleet aims to demonstrate to the United States its ability to deploy and combat in the ocean, and is a direct warning to the United States.
"In the context of the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by the United States, the visit of the Russian fleet to Cuba has" touched the sensitive nerves of the United States ". According to Russian military expert Baranitz, this visit even reminds the United States of the Cuban missile crisis 62 years ago. The possibility of Russian military forces returning to Cuba would be extremely painful for the United States.
Today, the Russian television website reported on the 13th that the Russian naval fleet's exercise and visit to Cuba are enough to "demonstrate to the United States that Russia has the ability to strike its important facilities.". The United States is trying to downplay the importance of this matter and maintain a good image, but the Russian military's move is a slap in the face for the United States and NATO. Russia fully possesses the means and capabilities to directly threaten the US mainland.
The visit of the Russian nuclear submarine fleet to Cuba not only makes the United States nervous, but also makes Canada very vigilant. Canadian Television (CTV) reported on the 13th that the Canadian military is also monitoring the movements and dynamics of Russian naval formations near the coast of Cuba, citing officials from the Canadian Ministry of Defense. A Canadian military CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft and a Halifax class Quebec City frigate are observing the activities of Russian ships.
