MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow does not accept sanctions against Cuba.

During a meeting with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parilla in Moscow, Putin said Russia voiced this position "openly, clearly, and unambiguously" through the Foreign Ministry.

"And now there's a special period with new sanctions. You know how we feel about this; we will not accept anything of the sort. And the position of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is voiced openly, clearly, and unambiguously," he said.

Regarding bilateral relations, the president said they are "developing on a generally positive track."

Putin emphasized the "special" nature of relations between the two countries, saying Russia has always "stood by Cuba in its struggle for independence."

"We know how difficult it has been all these years, all these decades, all the decades of Cuba's independence for the Cuban people in their struggle for the right to live by their own rules and defend their national interests," he said.

After halting oil from Mexico and Venezuela to Cuba and capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the process, the US has imposed a fuel embargo on Cuba, deepening its acute shortages.

Washington has also announced its intention to impose proportional import duties on goods from countries that dare to supply fuel to Cuba.

The Russian Embassy in Havana announced last week that Moscow would soon begin shipments of oil and petroleum products to Cuba as humanitarian aid.