Russia donates 25,000 tons of wheat to Cuba as countries step up cooperation

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By Nelson Acosta and Mario Fuentes

HAVANA, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Russia on Wednesday donated an “emergency” shipment of 25,000 tonnes of wheat to Cuba to ease shortages on the island amid military conflict in Ukraine, the main producer grain, and as food prices soar globally.

Russian Ambassador to Havana Andrei Guskov said Moscow will continue the collaboration and “accompany Cuba’s efforts in its development in areas such as industry, machinery, transport and energy.”

The large donation of wheat, used to make bread, a staple food subsidized by the Cuban government, marked Moscow’s latest humanitarian contribution to Havana.

Hit by severe Western sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is seeking to strengthen political and economic ties with countries opposed to what it has called American hegemony.

Cuba remains under a US trade embargo for more than 60 years after the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro.

Ana Teresita González, first deputy foreign trade minister, told Reuters that Russia had recently provided food and sanitary equipment to the island. “The government and people of Russia have been with us in difficult times since the pandemic,” he added.

A few days before the military invasion of Ukraine, Russia had agreed to postpone until 2027 the payment of the debt that Havana has outstanding with the Putin government.

Cuban state media reported in December that the wheat delivery was part of the 800 million rubles ($10.8 million) Moscow had allocated for the shipment to Havana.

Russia had delivered 20,000 tonnes of wheat to Cuba in April when food prices soared, causing bread shortages on the Caribbean island.

(Reporting by Nelson Acosta and Mario Fuentes; additional reporting by Alexander Frómeta. Editing by Javier Leira)