The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially announced its intention to close its embassy in Havana and downgrade diplomatic relations with Cuba. The reason is Russia’s support for the war against Ukraine.
This was announced by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on social media X.
According to Sybiha, Ukraine today voted against the UN General Assembly resolution on the need to end the US blockade of Cuba, having serious grounds for doing so: earlier, the Cuban president wished Russian dictator Vladimir Putin “success” in his aggressive war against Ukraine.
“We heard him loud and clear. This year, we decided to close our embassy in Havana and downgrade our diplomatic relations. Our vote is not directed against the Cuban people — we respect their right to live in prosperity,” the foreign minister said.
Ukraine’s vote against the resolution is directed against the inaction of the Cuban authorities in response to the mass conscription of Cuban citizens into the Russian occupation army, as thousands of them have signed contracts, joining the ranks of soldiers who are directly involved in hostilities on Ukrainian soil.
“Havana’s unwillingness to stop the mass recruitment of its citizens into Russia’s war against Ukraine is complicity in aggression and must be condemned in the strongest terms. Ukraine will always oppose such practices and uphold the goals and principles of the UN Charter,” Sybiha said.
As previously reported by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, the UN General Assembly today, October 29, considered the annual resolution on lifting the US embargo on Cuba. Ukraine voted against it for the first time. According to Yermak, the reason is that the Cuban government has become a strategic asset for Russia, supporting its war against Ukraine.