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The Russian ambassador to Cuba, Víktor Koronelli, stated that Moscow "will continue to provide both political and material support to Cuba", referring to the island's situation amid the internal crisis marked by fuel shortages.
The diplomat made those statements in an interview with RT published this Friday. In the conversation, Koronelli stated that Washington's goal is to "suffocate the Cuban revolution and change the government."
He also described the decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to declare a “national emergency” over an “unusual and extraordinary threat” allegedly posed by Cuba as “utterly absurd.”
The ambassador, following the official line of the Cuban regime, insisted that "Cuba poses no threat" to the United States or to other countries.
Koronelli also dismissed as "ridiculous" the argument that the measure is justified by the relations between Havana and Moscow, stating that Russia maintains friendly ties with dozens of countries, but that Washington "only wants to suffocate Cuba nowadays."
Dialogue with the U.S. and climate of tension
The Kremlin official noted that the United States and Cuba are in contact regarding "technical aspects", such as migration, and that Havana has proposed to expand those contacts to other areas, awaiting a response.
"The ball is in the court of the U.S.," he said, emphasizing that the Cuban condition would be an "egalitarian dialogue" and "without any preconditions."
Koronelli stated, however, that the Cuban government does not rule out an "open military aggression" from the United States and assured that "the people, the Army, and the Government are preparing for that" and are "well prepared," evoking a scenario of regional tension as mentioned in the interview.
On the international stage, he emphasized that "the vast majority of countries" would support Cuba and stated that while political backing is important, the island "needs material support."
In that regard, he stated that Russia is exploring possibilities to provide that assistance both bilaterally and through international organizations.
The regime's ally recalled that Russia contributes annually to the World Food Program and, through that mechanism, "supplies Cuba with various food products," adding that Moscow "will continue to do so."
Koronelli also assured that joint projects between both countries continue, although he acknowledged that the "very complicated situation with fuel" affects some of them. He indicated that a meeting of the Russian-Cuban Intergovernmental Commission for trade, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation is scheduled for April.
At the close, he reiterated that Cuba has been for "several decades" the "most important partner" of Russia in Latin America and stated that the bilateral relationship is "at the level of strategic cooperation," with the intention of continuing to "overcome challenges."
During 2025, the relations between Havana and Moscow experienced unprecedented strengthening, marked by a growing political and economic dependence of the Cuban regime on the Kremlin.
Officials have reaffirmed their government's intention to continue supporting Havana with credits, fuel donations, and economic cooperation projects.
It has also been emphasized the defense of Cuban "sovereignty" and highlighted the strategic alliance between both countries, while the regime praised the role of Russia as the main partner in the face of international sanctions.
The dependency on Putin's regime is not limited to the economic sphere. It is a hierarchical relationship in which Cuba acts as a junior partner, relinquishing diplomatic autonomy in exchange for material assistance and political support.
Experts point out that the Cuban regime thus repeats the pattern of the Soviet era, when the survival of the model depended on subsidies and strategic support from Moscow.
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