“We strongly condemn any attempt at flagrant interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state, as well as practices of intimidation, the imposition of illegal unilateral restrictive measures, threats, and blackmail,” the Eurasian nation’s Foreign Ministry declared.

  The diplomatic body also reaffirmed Russia’s “total solidarity with Cuba,” describing the Cuban leader Fidel Castro—as the centenary of his birth is commemorated—as “one of the most brilliant politicians and statesmen of his era.”

  “The enormous role he played in laying the foundations of Cuba’s statehood and its political-economic identity is well known; the distinctive features of this identity were, rightly, the patriotism, steadfastness, courage, and strength of the Caribbean nation’s people,” the text emphasized.

  “Fidel Castro guided Cuba with honor and dignity through the toughest trials, including challenges related to the state’s internal consolidation and the choice of its own path of development, decades of a severe commercial, economic, and financial blockade by the United States, the ‘Special Period’ of the 1990s, and repeated external attacks on the republic’s sovereignty and independence,” the ministry noted.

  According to the Russian diplomatic body, “today’s Cuba is, in every sense, a consolidated country with significant social achievements, pioneering discoveries and innovations in education and medicine, a weighty voice on the international stage, and an active participant in resolving key international issues—all of which is, to a large extent, to the credit of the *Comandante*. 

  “We are convinced that the heroic Cuban people, who have demonstrated astonishing steadfastness and courage in the face of external challenges on numerous occasions, will preserve their unity and strength of spirit, and will continue to selflessly defend their national interests,” concluded the statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

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