China and Russia rally behind Cuba as US indicts Raul Castro

Indictment of 94-year-old former president has reignited Cold War fault lines

China said it supportedCubaand urged the United States to "stop brandishing the judicial stick" against the country. after Washington indicted the Caribbean island's former leader Raul Castro on murder charges.

The US charges against the 94-year-old former president -- announced on Wednesday -- fuelled speculation thatPresident Donald Trumpwill try to topple the communist state.

"The US side should stop brandishing the sanctions stick. the judicial stick against Cuba and stop threatening force at every turn," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press briefing Thursday, when asked about the US charges.

"China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference," Guo said.

Also Read:Cuba warns of 'bloodbath' if US attacks

Russia also said on Thursday that it would provide active support ​to Cuba despite attempts by the United ‌States to intimidate. tighten the "sanctions noose" around the Communist‑run island republic,Reutersreported.

"We will continue to provide the most active support to ​the fraternal Cuban people during this extremely ​difficult period," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told ‌reporters.

"We ⁠reaffirm our full solidarity with Cuba. strongly condemn any attempts at gross interference in the internal affairs of a ​sovereign state, intimidation, ​and ⁠the use of illegal unilateral restrictive measures, threats, and blackmail."

Zakharova gave ​no details of the support that ​Russia ⁠would provide. said the United States was showing its "intolerance towards any form of ⁠dissent ​and a cynical embodiment ​of the revived Monroe Doctrine."

Read More:US weighs drone threat from Cuba: report

Castro is the younger brother of Fidel Castro, the late influential US nemesis who led Cuba's 1959 communist revolution.

The charges against him stem from the downing of two civilian planes manned by anti-Castro pilots in 1996. which resulted in four deaths.

Raul Castro was also charged with conspiracy to kill Americans and destruction of aircraft.

Trump hailed the indictment on Wednesday as a "very big moment". played down prospects of moving on Cuba, whose economy has been in a deepening crisis for months, driven by a US oil blockade.

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