Moscow Slams U.S. Pressure on Cuba

(MENAFN) Russia has sharply criticized the United States’ recent efforts to tighten economic pressure on Cuba, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova denouncing Washington’s actions.

Her remarks followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to sign an executive order that declared a national emergency and set the stage for tariffs on goods from countries supplying oil to the Caribbean island — a crucial energy lifeline for Havana.

The measure is intended to reinforce the longstanding embargo against Cuba and further squeeze its economy, especially after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a key source of oil for the island.

Zakharova described the U.S. crackdown as “illegitimate” and an effort to coerce a sovereign nation outside the framework of the United Nations.

She said that what was unfolding represented yet another iteration of “Washington’s strategy of maximum pressure on the Island of Freedom, aimed at its economic suffocation,” echoing Russia’s long held stance against unilateral sanctions not sanctioned by the U.N. She also expressed confidence that Cuba would find ways to navigate the economic difficulties imposed by the external pressure.

In response to Washington’s pressure tactics, Cuban authorities declared an “international emergency,” calling Trump’s campaign an “unusual and extraordinary threat” and attributing its roots to “the US anti Cuban neo fascist right wing.”

Cuban leaders have also condemned the proposed tariffs as an attempt to “suffocate” the nation’s economy under false pretenses.

The escalating tensions highlight deepening strains in U.S.–Cuban relations, with broader implications for regional diplomacy. Countries tied to Cuba’s energy supplies, such as Mexico, now find themselves navigating between U.S. pressure and humanitarian concerns over the impact of tariff threats.

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