Cuba: NATO's expansion toward Russia's borders led to status quo

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The Cuban government asserted that NATO's expansion toward Russia's borders resulted in a conflict that could have been avoided.

The statement mentioned the US determination to expand NATO toward the borders of the Russian Federation, which led to a scenario with repercussions on an unpredictable scale, something that could have been avoided.

The Cuban government holds the United States and NATO responsible for the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians across the world, denouncing the hypocrisy and double standards of the United States and NATO.

The government noted that an accurate study of the current situation in Ukraine cannot be done without carefully assessing the Russian Federation's demands from the United States and NATO, as well as the factors that led to the use of force.

The government affirmed that Cuba is a country that advocates international law and adheres to the United Nations Charter. It will always defend peace and oppose the use or threat of force against any state, expressing its "deep regret for the loss of innocent civilian lives in Ukraine."

The government statement added that history will hold the United States government accountable for the consequences of the increasingly offensive military doctrine outside NATO's borders, which threatens international peace, security, and stability, warning of the recent decision by NATO, for the first time, to activate its response force and of its dire consequences.

The statement stressed that it was a mistake to ignore the Russian Federation's demands for security guarantees and to believe that Russia would not act in the face of a direct threat to its national security, adding that "Russia has the right to defend itself, and peace cannot be achieved by encircling or besieging states," in reference to the NATO's deployment of forces at borders surrounding Russia.

Regarding the draft resolution on the situation in Ukraine, which Russia vetoed on Friday at the UN Security Council, the Cuban government noted that the draft was not presented as a project to solve the current crisis. 

It explained that the draft, on the contrary, is an "unbalanced text", which does not take into account the legitimate concerns of all parties involved and does not "recognize the responsibility" of those who incited or propagated hostile acts that escalated the conflict.

Cuba called for a serious, constructive, and realistic diplomatic solution to the current crisis, by peaceful means, in a way that guarantees the security and sovereignty of all, as well as peace, stability, and security at all levels.

Earlier, Cuba emphasized that the determination of the United States to impose the gradual expansion of NATO toward the borders of the Russian Federation constitutes a threat to Russian national security, as well as regional and international peace.

The State Department said that Washington "has been threatening Russia for weeks, manipulating the international community over the risks of an imminent full-scale invasion of Ukraine." It condemned actions by the United States, which include sending weapons and military technology, deploying forces to various countries in the region, and imposing unilateral and unfair sanctions.