Russian Defense Minister Meets With His Cuban Counterpart

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu held a meeting with his Cuban counterpart, Alvaro Lopez Miera, in Moscow on Tuesday.

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On the occasion, Shoigu said that "Cuban friends confirmed their relationship with our country, in particular demonstrating full understanding of the causes of the start of the special military operation in Ukraine."

According to the minister, relations between the two countries are booming. "Undoubtedly, Cuba has been and remains Russia's most important ally in the region," Shoigu said. 

The Russian diplomat added that the composition of the Cuban delegation shows Havana's readiness to "address a wide range of issues in the military and military-technical fields."

In this regard, Shoigu proposed to "substantially discuss" at the meeting "all existing and promising cooperation projects in the military sphere."

The meeting ceremony of Minister of Defense of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the Republic of Cuba, Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera. Video: Russian Ministry of Defense

The minister said Russia is ready to provide assistance to the island amid the restrictions imposed by the U.S., referring to the "illegal and illegitimate trade-economic blockade of Cuba," which has been in force for more than half a century.

"We are ready to render assistance to the Island of Freedom and to lend a shoulder to our Cuban friends," he said. 

The minister also said that Moscow and Havana are acting in defense of the UN Charter and against its replacement by "a rules-based order that reflects the desire of the collective West to promote modes of existence at the expense of enslaved countries and defeated competitors."