Russia’s exercises in the Caribbean will be the first such manoeuvres since 2019, according to CBS News. The exercises, according to U.S. officials, pose no direct threat to the U.S., but are merely a demonstration of Moscow’s dissatisfaction with the support Washington is giving Kiev.
LANA ZAK, CBS News anchor: U.S. officials say Russia will begin air and naval exercises in the coming weeks. And it will be the first time since 2019 that Russia has conducted air and naval manoeuvres in the Caribbean. The exercises are expected to last all summer, culminating in the worldwide naval manoeuvres later this autumn.
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin is with us from the Pentagon. David, first of all, what do we know about these exercises? Where are they taking place? What countries are participating in them?
DAVID MARTIN, CBS News correspondent: The Cuban government has just announced that four Russian military vessels will arrive in Havana next week, June 12, and will stop in port for five days. So we can expect these exercises to begin by the end of this month. And we can expect that the addition to these four Russian warships will be Russian long-range bombers that will be patrolling close to the east coast (of the U.S. – Inotv).
Russian ships have called at Cuban ports before. Russian long-range bombers have flown along the east coast before. But it’s worth noting that this is the first time in five years that Russia is conducting both at the same time.
LANA ZAK: You know, David, when people hear this news, some people start drawing parallels to the Kennedy era, bringing up spheres of influence. Back then it was about Russian missiles in Cuba, and now Russia is conducting naval and military exercises. Tell us about the timing of these manoeuvres and whether they pose any threat to the United States.
DAVID MARTIN: U.S. officials say, on the one hand, it’s just the start of the summer exercise season. But they say it’s partly a demonstration of Putin’s displeasure because of U.S. support for Ukraine and because of all the NATO exercises that are going on in Europe.
The presence of four Russian ships in the Caribbean off the east coast simply pales in comparison to the scale of the exercises that the U.S. military is conducting in Europe with its NATO allies. It is in no way seen as a direct threat to the United States.