Moscow, April 24 - Russia reiterated its support for Cuba on Friday, saying it will continue to supply humanitarian assistance to the island and rejecting what the Russian Foreign Ministry described as blackmail and threats from Washington.
Addressing reporters, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova framed recent U.S. actions toward Havana as a form of demonstrative aggressive pressure designed to interfere in Cuba’s domestic affairs and to undermine the Cuban state. Zakharova said, "We reject blackmail and threats in foreign policy, which also applies to Washington’s current demonstrative aggressive pressure on Havana with the aim of gross interference in Cuba’s internal affairs in order to break Cuban statehood."
Zakharova reiterated Moscow’s solidarity with both the Cuban government and its people in the face of what she described as a malicious escalation. "Against the backdrop of the targeted and malicious escalation against Cuba, we reaffirm our solidarity with the Cuban government and the Cuban people," she added.
The Russian statement commented on public remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he expects to have the honour of "taking Cuba" even as Washington continues to press Havana to open its economy and expand political freedoms. Russia characterised those U.S. demands and statements as part of a coercive approach toward the island.
Zakharova also referenced the longstanding relationship between the two countries, noting that "Russia and Cuba have a close historical relationship. We have always been on the side of Cuba in its struggle for independence, in its right to live by its own rules, develop on its own path and defend its own interests." She said Russia will maintain humanitarian aid "during this difficult period of artificially fueled confrontation."
The dispute over access to fuel for Cuba has been a focal point in recent months. In late March, the Russian-flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin offloaded roughly 700,000 barrels of Russian Urals crude at Cuba’s Matanzas Bay, an action described by Russia as challenging a U.S. fuel blockade. The Trump administration said it allowed the delivery for "humanitarian" reasons.
Russia said it has supported Cuba more recently with both financing and material goods, reiterating its commitment to assist the island amid the bilateral tensions with Washington.