US urges UN to isolate Cuba over its fighters' role in war against Ukraine – Reuters

US President Donald Trump's administration has launched a diplomatic campaign to convince its allies not to support an annual UN resolution calling for the lifting of the embargo on Cuba.

Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Washington argues that Havana is actively supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, particularly by sending its citizens to fight for Russia.

According to an internal US State Department cable, US diplomats are being instructed to tell other countries that "after North Korea, Cuba is the largest contributor of foreign troops to Russia's aggression, with an estimated 1000-5000 Cubans fighting in Ukraine".

The diplomatic cable dated 2 October was sent to dozens of US missions worldwide. It states that the US is seeking to reduce the number of "yes" votes on the resolution, even if blocking it entirely is not possible. "'No' votes are preferred but abstentions or absent/not voting are also useful," the cable says.

Last year, the resolution was supported by 187 countries, with only the US and Israel voting against it, and Moldova abstaining. Washington believes the resolution "incorrectly" blames US sanctions for Cuba's economic crisis, while the real causes are "corruption and incompetence" by the Cuban government.

The State Department said Cuba uses the UN vote "as a mechanism to victimise itself" and does not deserve the support of America's democratic allies.

Reuters notes that only the US Congress can lift the embargo, which was introduced after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Meanwhile, Cuba has accused Washington of causing the country's worst economic crisis in decades, citing shortages of goods, infrastructure collapse and hyperinflation.

The State Department also said the Cuban authorities have "failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns in the Russia-Ukraine war". Reuters said that Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned the US about the growing recruitment of Cuban mercenaries to fight for Russia.

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