MOSCOW – The  Kremlin yesterday accused the United States of using “suffocating measures” against Cuba, a traditional Russian ally, as an energy crisis on the socialist Caribbean island worsened under US sanctions. Cuba is reeling from a US-ordered halt in oil shipments from Caracas after American troops captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro last month.

The Cuban government on Friday announced emergency measures to address the island’s energy crisis, including a four-day workweek for state-owned companies and restrictions on fuel sales.

“The situation is really critical in Cuba,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP.

“The suffocating measures imposed by the United States are causing many difficulties for the country. We are discussing possible solutions with our Cuban friends, at least to provide whatever assistance we can,” he said. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order authorising the United States to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to Havana. Trump said that Mexico, which has been supplying Cuba with oil since 2023, would stop doing so, under threat of US tariffs.

The oil shortages have threatened to plunge Cuba into complete darkness, with power plants struggling to keep the lights on. Russia has railed against the US campaign against Havana for weeks, calling it “unacceptable” and warning of a possible humanitarian crisis in the country. 

– Nampa/AFP