Politics
Cuba backs Russia in Ukraine crisis, calls to end 'Western intervention'
"The determination of the U.S. to impose the progressive expansion of NATO towards the borders of the Russian Federation constitutes a threat to the national security of this country," the Cuban regime said in a statement
February 23, 2022 10:14am
Updated: February 23, 2022 1:58pm
The Cuban dictatorship joined Venezuela and Nicaragua in aligning itself with Russia in the crisis with Ukraine on Wednesday, calling on the United States and its Western allies to stop provoking the Kremlin.
#Cuba🇨🇺 aboga por una solución diplomática a través del diálogo constructivo y respetuoso.
— Cancillería de Cuba (@CubaMINREX) February 23, 2022
Llamamos a preservar la paz y la seguridad internacionales.
📜Declaración del MINREX 👉 https://t.co/AC8K7cYOQc pic.twitter.com/4rP2y9s9T9
"The determination of the United States to impose the progressive expansion of NATO towards the borders of the Russian Federation constitutes a threat to the national security of this country and to regional and international peace,” the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry (Minrex) said in a statement.
The government of Miguel Díaz-Canel further asserted that “the U.S. government has been threatening Russia for weeks and manipulating the international community into fearing an imminent invasion of Ukraine” – adding that the U.S. “deployed troops in several countries in the region, applied unilateral and unjust sanctions and unleashed an anti-Russian propaganda campaign.”
But this is not the first time that the Cuban regime has defended Russia’s position with relation to Ukraine. After Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, Cuban dictator Raul Castro Ruz said “The intervention of Western powers must cease,” adding that provocations from the United States and Europe “can have very serious consequences for international peace and security.”
Later in 2018, Díaz-Canel warned the United Nations that “the continued expansion of NATO towards the borders with Russia causes serious dangers, aggravated by the imposition of arbitrary sanctions that we reject.”
"We call on the United States and NATO to seriously and realistically address the calls for security guarantees from the Russian Federation, which has the right to defend itself," the dictator said in the statement.
Earlier this week, both Venezuela and Nicaragua voiced their support for Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. Considering Latin America’s shift to the left and its leaders’ willingness to engage with hostile regimes, the question remains: who’s next?
