Putin Meets Cuban Foreign Minister Amid US Sanctions Concerns

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez at the Kremlin on Wednesday, where they discussed recent US restrictions imposed on Cuba.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, Putin stated that the new sanctions are “unacceptable” and expressed Russia’s disapproval. In separate talks with Rodriguez, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged the US not to impose a full naval blockade on Cuba, advocating for negotiations instead.

Lavrov called on Washington to exercise sound judgement and refrain from plans to impose a naval blockade, stating that cooperation between Russia and Cuba does not pose a threat to the US or other countries. Rodriguez expressed concern about US actions, which he said threatened the sovereignty of all countries.

Cuba is currently facing fuel shortages due to US President Donald Trump’s executive order in January, authorizing trade tariffs on oil imports from third countries. The White House stated that it believes Cuba’s best interest lies in making significant changes soon, but did not call for a change in government leadership.

Moscow values its relations with Cuba and intends to further develop them during difficult times, according to Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Peskov denied any link between sending fuel to Cuba and the recent warming of ties with Washington.

In related news, Venezuela stopped selling crude oil to Cuba in January after the US captured then-President Nicolas Maduro, while Mexico also cut off oil shipments due to Trump’s threat to impose tariffs.

Source: Al Jazeera