Cuba’s foreign minister accuses the US of trying to crush the “political will” of the Cuban people, hinting at diplomacy with the US.
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Russia has accused the United States of “suffocating” the socialist island nation and warned that Cuba’s energy crisis is becoming a crisis.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov sounded the alarm on Monday, saying the Russian government was discussing “possible solutions” to provide Havana with “all the support” it needs.
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Cuba has been reeling after U.S. President Donald Trump halted oil shipments from Venezuela after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was abducted by U.S. forces in a bloody night raid in early January.
President Trump also threatened to impose tariffs on other countries, including Mexico, if they continue shipping much-needed fuel to Cuba. Cuba has already suffered from decades of punitive sanctions by the US government.
“The situation in Cuba is truly critical,” Peskov told reporters in Moscow.
He added: “The stifling measures imposed by the United States are causing many difficulties for this country.”
In separate remarks posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry website, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s “solidarity with the people of Venezuela and Cuba.”
“We are convinced that only they can decide their own fate,” Lavrov said.
Catastrophic fuel shortages in Cuba have crippled the country and power plants struggle to keep the lights on as the United States seeks to squeeze the economy.
The Cuban government has been forced to take emergency measures, including requiring state-owned enterprises to work four-day weeks, restricting fuel sales, closing universities and shortening class hours.
Cuba also warned international airlines that jet fuel will not be available on the island starting Tuesday. On Monday, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Cuba due to aviation fuel shortages.
“Crushing the political will of the Cuban people”
Moscow has been slamming Washington’s campaign against Havana for weeks.
Russia called the US move against Cuba “unacceptable” and warned of a possible humanitarian crisis in the country.
Kremlin’s criticism of the United States comes as Russia faces accusations that it continues to shell Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as part of its war against its neighbor. The Russian attack left more than 1 million people without power in freezing temperatures, Ukrainian officials said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also warned of a humanitarian “collapse” if Cuba’s energy needs are not met.
On Monday, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned the United States’ “brutal invasion” aimed at “destroying the political will of the Cuban people.”
“The situation is difficult and will require great sacrifices,” Rodriguez said, reiterating Cuba’s “willingness to engage in dialogue” from its own standpoint.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said his country was open to talks with the United States but would not be pressured.
President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, have made no secret of their desire to bring about regime change in Havana.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has defied President Trump, saying sanctions that harm the Cuban people are “not right.”
“We will continue to support them and take all necessary diplomatic measures to restore oil shipments to Cuba,” Sheinbaum told reporters on Monday.
“You can’t strangle people like this. This is very unfair. It’s very unfair.”
In a recent executive order, President Trump called Cuba an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and warned countries that they would face additional tariffs if they supplied oil to Cuba.
Mexico was Cuba’s second largest oil supplier after Venezuela.
Sheinbaum has previously warned about the humanitarian crisis in Cuba, but he wants to avoid exposing his country to the risk of tariffs from the United States, Mexico’s main trading partner.
