Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Russia said on May 21 that it would provide active support to Cuba despite attempts by the United States to intimidate and tighten the “sanctions noose” around the Communist‑run island republic.
The US announced murder charges against former President Raúl Castro on May 20, a major escalation in Washington’s campaign against Cuba, where Castro’s communists have been in charge since his late brother Fidel Castro led a revolution in 1959.
The indictment follows Trump’s threats of military action in Cuba, which is facing severe blackouts, food shortages and economic collapse after the White House ordered a blockade that choked off fuel shipments to the island.
In March, Russia sent an oil tanker to Cuba to provide what it called humanitarian assistance, effectively defying the US blockade.
“We will continue to provide the most active support to the fraternal Cuban people during this extremely difficult period,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.
“We reaffirm our full solidarity with Cuba and strongly condemn any attempts at gross interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.”