View of the city of Santiago de Cuba. File photoHAVANA, Apr 21The Russian embassy in Cuba handed over a cargo of humanitarian aid of 19,526 tons of wheat to the Ministry of Food Industry of the island, the ceremony took place at the location of the ministry. «This humanitarian cargo was sent to the island by decision of the government of the Russian Federation … in this way we continue to help the Cuban people, who the COVID-19 pandemic is forced to resist the illegitimate and inhuman blockade of the United States,” said Russian Ambassador Andrey Guskov.The Cuban Foreign Ministry urged to listen to Russia's security requirements. A ship with wheat arrived in Cuba in early February and spent almost a month in the waters near the island, waiting for freight payments stuck due to sanctions against Russian banks. «The incident clearly shows that the unilateral coercive measures taken against Russia, just like those applied against Cuba, damage the lives of ordinary people, this is exactly what the authors of these measures are trying to achieve, but as we see in this case, a unilateral sanctions position is futile in the face of the firm will of our countries to develop strategic partnership relations, based on a solid foundation of friendship and solidarity,» the head of the Russian diplomatic mission said. In January 2022, five planes from Moscow arrived in Havana with 83 tons of medicines and medical supplies to support Cuban healthcare, and a few months earlier, five more planes delivered 170 tons of medicines and equipment, Guskov recalled. «There were many cases when we extended a hand of solidarity to the Island of Freedom — both bilaterally and through our donations through international organizations, and we are ready to continue doing this to the best of our ability even in the difficult global scenario that we are experiencing,» the Russian ambassador added.< img src="/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/d214324a63c24e27f0e99a61984420ec.jpg" />Expert: Russia needs to actively look for trading partners in Latin America
