Amid escalating tensions with Ukraine, Russia is looking to strengthen its relationship with Cuba.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Monday, the Miami Herald reported. During the call, the two leaders discussed their "strategic partnership" and further coordination between the two countries.
"I had a cordial and fruitful telephone conversation with President Putin," Díaz-Canel wrote on Twitter, according to a translation, adding, "We exchanged excellent relations and future development links in different spheres, also on the current international situation."
It is unclear whether this translation was entirely accurate or whether the "current international situation" refers to Russia's growing tensions with Ukraine. According to the Herald, both Cuba and Venezuela were seemingly "dragged into the drama surrounding the conflict" when Russian foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters that he can "neither confirm nor exclude" Russian deployments into the two countries in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the United States held a phone conference with European allies to discuss the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Newsweek reported.
Although Ukraine was not on the phone call, President Joe Biden's administration says that it has been in close contact with the country, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying during a Monday briefing, "We had a wide range of conversations with Ukrainians." This statement comes a week after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Ukrainian counterpart to discuss potential moves.
However, the U.S. and Ukraine still maintain a contentious relationship. After the U.S. urged American diplomats to leave the embassy in the city of Kyiv, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the evacuation, Newsweek added.
"The Russian Federation is currently making active efforts to destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine," wrote the ministry in a statement. "A large amount of misinformation, manipulation and fakes is spreading in the Ukrainian and international media space in order to sow panic among Ukrainians and foreigners, intimidate business, and undermine the economic and financial stability of our state. In this situation, it is important to soberly assess the risks and stay calm."
However, the Ukraine still expressed gratitude towards the United States for its solidarity and "proactive diplomatic stance" for the country. Around 100,000 Russian troops are currently stationed along the eastern border of Ukraine.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
