Russia has raised concerns about the situation in fuel-starved Cuba, saying that it was only intensifying following the 'deadly incident' with a US-registered speedboat off the coast of the Caribbean Island.
The Kremlin has issued a statement saying that the situation around Cuba was intensifying. "The most important thing is the humanitarian component. Of course, the humanitarian issues of the Cuban citizens must be resolved. And no one should create obstacles," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told media personnel, as per the Russian State news outlet RIA Novosti.
The comments came soon after Cuban forces killed four exiles and wounded six others, who sailed into Cuban waters aboard a Florida-registered speedboat on Wednesday.
Also Read: Trump Threatens Tariffs On Countries That Send Oil To Cuba
The Cuban interior ministry said that they opened fire on the Cuban patrol. The ministry maintained that the group was comprised of anti-government Cubans, some of whom were previously wanted for plotting attacks.
"They came from the US dressed in camouflage and armed with assault rifles, handguns, homemade explosives, ballistic vests, and telescopic sights," the ministry maintained.
Secretary of State in the US, Marco Rubio, said that the incident was "highly unusual" and promised to "respond appropriately" once it had conducted an independent investigation.
What's 'Fuel Crisis' in Cuba?
The island nation is presently facing an economic crisis that is worsening by the hour, as the US has imposed an oil blockade on it. Cuba, which has traditionally remained dependent on oil from Venezuela, was cut off from the supplies after the Trump administration captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, earlier this year. Following the 'invasion', Cuba said 32 of its citizens were killed in the attack.
Soon after, Donald Trump said Cuba's government poses "an unusual and extraordinary" threat and pledged to impose tariffs on any country that supplies it with oil, while cutting the nation off from Venezuelan oil. Cuba has condemned the US actions and has adopted measures to protect essential services and ration fuel supplies for key sectors. The Cuban government had said on February 9 that international airlines can no longer refuel in the nation due to a fuel shortage.
Amid the chaos, the United Nations has warned of a possible humanitarian "collapse" in Cuba as the country's oil supplies dwindle.
Countries Come Together To Support
Russia has taken the lead. The country is not only sounding an alarm on the crisis in Cuba, but it has also said that its government was discussing the possibility of providing fuel to Cuba. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Alexander Novak, told the state-owned news outlet RIA. The Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin, called the Trump order "unacceptable" when he met the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, in Moscow.
Mexico has stepped up and has sent a new shipment of humanitarian aid to Cuba this week. The ships, with a total of roughly 1200 metric tons of food supplies, set sail from the port of Veracruz on Tuesday, according to Mexico's Foreign Ministry.
"The people of Mexico maintain their tradition of solidarity with the peoples of Latin America, and particularly with the people of Cuba," the ministry has said in a statement, adding that the food supplies are expected to arrive in Cuba on Saturday.
Canada has also come forward and has pledged food aid to Cuba, worth 8 million Canadian dollars (USD 6.7m), Al Jazeera has reported. "As the people of Cuba face significant hardship, Canada stands in solidarity and is providing targeted assistance to help address urgent needs," Foreign Minister Anita Anand said in a statement, adding the aid would be delivered via the World Food Programme and UNICEF.
Some Relief
The US has said that it will allow the resale of some Venezuelan oil to Cuba. The US Department of the Treasury, in a statement, has said that it would authorise companies seeking licenses to resell Venezuelan oil for "commercial and humanitarian use in Cuba".
The statement said that the new "favourable licensing policy" would not cover "persons or entities associated with the Cuban military, intelligence service, or other government institutions".
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