Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has accused the Biden administration of demonstrating a “weakness” in response to a fleet of Russian warships sailing close to South Florida’s coast earlier this week.

During a press conference in Florida, Desantis said, “We’re failing as a country with the deterrent capability, and I think it starts at the top with the president of the United States. I think that history has shown that these bad actors, they respond to strength and they’re deterred by strength. They are not going to be deterred by weakness. They are not going to be deterred by confusion. They’re not going to be deterred by a president wandering around aimlessly at the G7.”

Earlier this week, Pentagon officials confirmed the presence of the Russian fleet, including a frigate, two smaller ships, and a nuclear submarine. The vessels passed within 30 nautical miles of Key Largo on their way to Havana, staying in international waters but purposely close to US shores. The US Navy responded by deploying three destroyers, a Coast Guard cutter, naval striker aircraft, and a maritime reconnaissance plane to track the movements, particularly concerned about the nuclear submarine, marking the first deployment of its kind in the region since the Cold War.

Further military exercises by the Russian fleet are expected in the Caribbean, with possible port calls in Venezuela. US officials have assured that American warships would continue to monitor the Russian vessels’ activities closely.