The United States expects Russia to begin air and naval exercises in the Caribbean in the coming weeks, according to a U. S. official.
The exercises, which will involve Russian warships and long-range bombers, will be the first simultaneous air and naval maneuvers conducted by Russia in the Caribbean since 2019. The United States translates them as a U. S. reaction to Ukraine and the strengthening of U. S. efforts. . exercises with NATO allies.
However, the trainings have been planned for some time, the official said, and are unlikely to be a reaction to President Biden’s recent partial lifting of the ban against Ukraine’s use of U. S. -supplied weapons against targets in Russia. The Miami Herald was the first to report on Russia’s plans to conduct air and naval exercises in the Caribbean.
Last week, the U. S. authorized Ukraine to use those weapons on the Russian side of the border, near the besieged Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Biden’s leadership has largely adapted U. S. authorization to the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation and limited use. of those weapons to target Russian artillery sites and other weapons intended for them around Kharkiv. The Ukrainians are still not allowed to use U. S. -supplied long-range equipment, such as ATACMs, to attack Russia beyond this limit, according to the belief of a direct person. U. S. escalation with Russia.
Russian training is not considered a direct risk to the United States, the official said. The Russian ships are expected to call at Cuba and in all likelihood Venezuela, and the trainings will last through the summer and culminate in global naval training in the fall.
Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.