During the first speech by a Cuban president in the State Duma or Lower House of Parliament, Diaz-Canel said that the causes of the conflict in Ukraine should be sought in the policies of the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The Cuban president said that the aggressive policy of Washington and NATO’s expansion to Russia’s borders are what the current situation in Eastern Europe has brought about.

Diaz-Canel stressed that Havana has repeatedly condemned the sanctions against Russia and has advocated for a solution to the conflict through negotiations.

After his speech in the State Duma, the Cuban president met with members of the Federation Council, known as the Senate or Upper House, and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

As a culmination of his four-day official visit to the Russian Federation, Diaz-Canel, along with President Vladimir Putin, inaugurated a monument to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, in the square named after him in Moscow’s Sokol district.

Later, the Cuban leader and Putin held talks to review the prospects for developing the Russian-Cuban strategic partnership in the political, commercial, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres and exchange views on fundamental issues on the international agenda.

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