MIAMI, United States. — Cuban ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel defended the growing exchange and cooperation between the regimes in Havana and Moscow, which many already consider the “Russification” of Cuba.
In an interview with the Russian channel RTthe president pointed out that the new rapprochement “responds to historical ties of friendship, to historical ties of brotherhood that were forged since the time of the Soviet Union and that marked many milestones in terms of relations between our nations and our peoples.”
According to Diaz-Canel, the proximity between Cuba and Russia “It has a lot to do with that history, with that base, but it also has a lot to do with the purpose and will that has existed on both sides, from both nations, to strengthen relations in the midst of the uncertainty of this complex world. ”.
In this sense, the successor to Raúl Castro highlighted the role of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he described as “a sincere friend towards Cuba, who has also demonstrated it with facts.”
“I would say that, in summary, it is a relationship of friends, it is a relationship in strategic political terms, it is a relationship based on a feeling of respect, friendship, agreement on political issues and also with the potential for joint, mutual participation. , with benefits for both parties in economic-commercial and financial relations, because there are also projects that have to do with finance that are being developed jointly. I would tell you that there is a renewed moment in our relations and we are very grateful for this support from the Russian Federation,” said the president.
True to his usual rhetoric, Díaz-Canel defended Russia in the war against Ukraine and accused the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of having provoked the conflict.
Díaz-Canel recalled that Cuba “condemns and rejects the expansion of NATO towards the borders with Russia,” as well as “all the measures and sanctions that have been applied as a method of coercion against the Russian Federation.”
