Russia and China Condemn United States Over Indictment of Former Cuban Leader Raúl Castro

Russia and China have strongly criticized the United States after federal prosecutors indicted former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue.

The indictment, announced by the administration of President Donald Trump, accuses Castro and several former Cuban military pilots of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and murder linked to the destruction of the planes, which killed four people. (Al Jazeera)

U.S. prosecutors allege Castro, who served as Cuba’s defense minister at the time, authorized the operation that led Cuban fighter jets to shoot down the aircraft over international waters in February 1996. (AP News)

The move marks one of the most aggressive legal actions taken by Washington against a former senior Cuban leader in decades and has sharply escalated tensions between the United States and Cuba. (The Guardian)

Russia Accuses U.S. of “Interference”

Russia condemned the indictment and reaffirmed its political support for Cuba amid growing tensions with Washington.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the charges as “gross interference” in Cuba’s internal affairs and accused the United States of using intimidation, sanctions, and legal pressure as tools of foreign policy. (Reuters)

Moscow also pledged continued “active support” and “total solidarity” with the Cuban government as the Trump administration increases pressure on Havana. (The Moscow Times)

The Kremlin has increasingly aligned itself with Cuba in recent years, particularly as U.S.-Cuba relations deteriorated following expanded sanctions and fuel restrictions imposed by Washington earlier this year.

China Says U.S. Is Misusing Judicial Power

China also criticized the indictment during a regular Foreign Ministry briefing in Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing “strongly opposes” the U.S. decision and accused Washington of misusing judicial mechanisms to pressure Cuba politically. (Reuters)

Guo urged the United States to stop using sanctions and legal action as instruments of coercion and called on Washington to avoid threats against the Cuban government. (Reuters)

China has remained one of Cuba’s key diplomatic and economic partners and has repeatedly opposed U.S. sanctions targeting the island nation.

Trump Administration Intensifies Pressure on Cuba

The indictment forms part of a broader hardline policy pursued by President Trump during his second term toward Cuba and other left-wing governments in Latin America.

U.S. officials described the charges as a long-overdue pursuit of justice for the families of the four men killed in the 1996 incident. (The Times)

Federal prosecutors said the civilian planes were participating in humanitarian missions organized by Brothers to the Rescue, a Cuban exile group based in Florida.

The Cuban government has historically defended the shootdown, arguing the aircraft repeatedly violated Cuban airspace, although international investigations at the time concluded at least one of the planes was destroyed over international waters.

Legal experts note that the likelihood of Castro appearing in a U.S. courtroom remains extremely low because Cuba does not extradite its citizens to the United States.

Rising Geopolitical Tensions

The indictment has revived Cold War-era tensions between Washington and Havana while drawing new geopolitical fault lines involving Russia and China.

Analysts say Moscow and Beijing increasingly view Cuba as strategically important amid broader confrontations with the United States over Ukraine, Taiwan, sanctions policy, and global influence.

The Trump administration has simultaneously tightened sanctions on Cuba and increased pressure on Havana over its alliances with Venezuela, Russia, and China.

Cuban officials have rejected the indictment as politically motivated and accused Washington of attempting regime change through economic and diplomatic pressure.