RUSSIA will continue to ship oil supplies to Cuba, the country’s top diplomat said today.

Following a recent visit to China, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “Of course we support Cuba, as does China, politically within the United Nations and other forums, as well as economically and in humanitarian terms.

“We have dispatched the first tanker carrying 100,000 tons of oil to Cuba. This will probably last for a couple of months — I am not a specialist. But I have no doubt that we will continue such assistance and that China will also continue to take part in it.”

Mr Lavrov also said the United States must not return to the “era of direct colonial wars” and the “colonial suppression of free nations.”

He added: “It was not Cuba that refused dialogue with Washington for decades. Washington did everything to isolate the Cuban state.”

The six decade illegal blockade against Cuba was deepened after the US mounted an unprovoked attack on Venezuela on January 3, during which 100 people, including 30 Cubans, were killed and President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Celia Flores were kidnapped.

The upheaval in Venezuela has deprived Cuba of one of its main oil suppliers, leading to frequent blackouts which have brought hospitals, public transport and food production to crisis point.