Russia urges Trump to discard 'Cold War' policy on Cuba

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SME Times News Bureau | 19 Jun, 2017
The US administration's new policy toward Cuba indicates a return to the Cold War, and Washington needs to listen to the international community's voice on this issue, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.

"The new policy on Cuba announced by US President Donald Trump brings us back to the already forgotten rhetoric in the style of the 'Cold War'. Such an approach has characterized the US attitude to Cuba for decades," the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Noting that the past five decades has shown the futility of "the arrogant style of doing business with Cuba", the ministry warned the US government that the anti-Cuban discourse, still in high demand though, would only cause regret, Xinhua reported.

Trump announced on Friday new restrictions on Americans' travel to Cuba and US business with the Cuban military, a step to tighten the US policy toward the neighbouring country.

The move is seen as an attempt to roll back parts of Obama's policy of normalizing US-Cuba diplomatic ties, which was introduced in December 2014.

It urged the Trump administration to pay attention to the anti-blockade resolutions repeatedly adopted by the UN General Assembly, which represent the almost unanimous voice of the international community on Cuba.

The ministry also reiterated Russia's "unshakable solidarity" with Cuba, adding that Moscow is for dialogue and cooperation, instead of blockades, sanctions or outside interference in internal affairs of sovereign states.

The US severed its ties with Cuba in 1961, shortly after Fidel Castro launched a revolution that toppled a US-friendly government, and the two countries had been at loggerheads ever since.