Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned what it described as hostile actions by the United States against Cuba, stating that unilateral sanctions and pressure on the Cuban people are absolutely unacceptable.
In a written statement, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reacted to U.S. policy toward Cuba.
“Unilateral sanctions imposed against sovereign and independent states in violation of the United Nations Charter and other norms of international law are absolutely unacceptable. We strongly condemn the illegitimate restrictions imposed on Havana and the pressure exerted on the Cuban authorities and citizens,” Zakharova said.
Describing Washington’s actions as a return to a strategy of exerting pressure on Cuba and an attempt to economically suffocate the country, the Russian diplomat noted that cooperation between Moscow and Havana does not target third countries and will continue to develop.
Zakharova also drew attention to the fact that in a new anti-Cuba document, the United States classified Russia as a “hostile” and “malign” state, emphasizing that “labeling does not contribute to stabilizing the Russia–U.S. dialogue or to the effectiveness of Washington’s significant mediation efforts to resolve crises in various regions of the world.”
She added that the difficult socio-economic situation in Cuba is largely the result of the economic blockade imposed by the United States for nearly 70 years.
Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump had signed an executive order authorizing the imposition of import tariffs on goods from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, and had also declared a national emergency citing alleged national security threats originating from Havana. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also stated that the United States is interested in a change of government in Cuba.