U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement today regarding reports of Russian warships planning to conduct military exercises with Cuba and Venezuela in the Western Hemisphere.
“Reports of Russian warships transiting to the Western Hemisphere with the intention of conducting military exercises with Cuba and Venezuela are deeply concerning,” said Risch. “The Biden Administration has invited this Russian adventurism by pursuing a weak and rudderless foreign policy not just in the Western Hemisphere, but across the world.”
Risch emphasized his concerns about potential nuclear threats posed by Russia. “It is clear Putin’s objective is to again rattle his nuclear saber, despite Cuban assurances otherwise. There is no other purpose for making a port call in Havana with a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying nuclear weapons,” he stated.
He further urged the Biden Administration to bolster U.S. defense capabilities. “While the United States will not be coerced by the Russians, the Biden Administration must stop undermining our defense posture and support robust investment in our defense capabilities, including in our submarine industrial base and antisubmarine warfare capabilities.”
###
