Russia says fuel situation in Cuba is critical, accuses US of 'suffocating' the island

Russia said on Monday the fuel situation in Cuba was critical and U.S. attempts to "suffocate" the island's economy were causing many difficulties, pledging to act against any sort of military intervention and expressing Moscow's solidarity with Cuba and Venezuela.

Cuba detailed its plans to navigate the deepening crisis on Friday including protecting essential services and rationing fuel, as the communist-run government dug in its heels in defiance of a U.S. effort to cut off oil supplies.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has declared Cuba "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and said it will no longer receive oil from Venezuela after the U.S. operation to capture its leader Nicolas Maduro last month. It has threatened to impose tariffs on other suppliers like Mexico if they continue to ship fuel to the island.

"The situation in Cuba is indeed critical. We are aware of this. We are maintaining intensive contacts with our Cuban friends through diplomatic and other channels," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Russia is trying to restore its own battered ties with the United States as Trump seeks to broker a deal to end its war in Ukraine. But the Kremlin made clear it was unhappy with Washington's treatment of Cuba.

"The suffocating tactics employed by the United States are indeed causing many difficulties for the country. We are discussing with our Cuban friends possible ways to resolve these problems, or at least to provide all possible assistance," said Peskov.

Peskov was answering a question about jet fuel shortages and whether that might affect Russian tourists wanting to leave Cuba, a long-time ally of Moscow's.

Cuba warned international airlines that jet fuel would no longer be available on the island beginning on Tuesday. Air Canada AC.TO said on Monday it was suspending flights to Cuba.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a message marking the day of diplomatic workers in Russia, said Moscow sought to build relations with developing countries.

"The focus remains on countering neo-colonial practices, from unilateral coercive measures to military interventions," Lavrov wrote on his ministry's website.

"In this context, we reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Venezuela and Cuba. We are convinced that only they can determine their own destiny."

Russia's ambassador to Cuba, Viktor Coronelli, told the state RIA news agency last week that Moscow had repeatedly supplied oil to Cuba in recent years, and would continue to do so.

-Felix Light/Reuters