Moscow will not abandon Cuba, help with energy

Russia will never abandon or betray Cuba and plans to help the Communist island tackle energy issues linked to a U.S. embargo, a Russian deputy foreign minister was quoted as saying early on Friday after talks in Havana.



Sergei Ryabkov, quoted by Russian news agencies at a news conference in the Cuban capital, also said Moscow had no intention of walking away from its interests in the Western hemisphere no matter what the United States might say.



Ryabkov said Moscow's help for Cuba would go beyond the large shipload of oil it had sent to the island last month.



Cuba's energy needs were a priority, Ryabkov added.



He also said the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran "make it clear that using force, sanctions and political diktat do not produce desired results".