Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described Washington’s recent measures to declare a “national emergency,” based on the alleged “unusual and extraordinary threat” posed by the island to US security, as a “relapse” in a policy consistently applied by the United States against Havana.

“Russia’s position on this remains unchanged: unilateral sanctions against sovereign and independent states, adopted outside the framework of the UN and the provisions of its Charter, as well as other norms of international law, are categorically unacceptable,” the spokeswoman emphasized.

In this regard, the diplomat emphasized that Moscow strongly condemns the illegitimate and restrictive measures taken against Cuba, as well as the pressure exerted on the Cuban leadership and its citizens.

Despite the external obstacles imposed on the Caribbean nation’s development path, it will continue to maintain effective external economic ties, Zakharova asserted.

She also drew attention to the fact that, in Washington’s new “anti-Cuban document,” Russia, along with other “full partners” of Havana, is classified as a “hostile” and “malicious” state.

“This type of labeling contributes neither to stabilizing the Russian-American dialogue nor to increasing the effectiveness of US mediation efforts in resolving crises in various regions of the world,” she remarked.

The spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry also rejected attempts to create barriers to international cooperation, especially when it involves a country facing a complex socioeconomic situation, which Moscow largely attributes to the trade, economic, and financial blockade imposed by Washington for almost 70 years.

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