Russia on Thursday emphasized its “full solidarity” with Cuba, taking sides with the country against the United States as Washington escalates a pressure campaign against Havana’s Communist leadership. 

The tough rhetoric from Moscow followed Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent message that appeared to tacitly call on the Cuban people to overthrow their Communist government. It also came after the Justice Department indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro, which the U.S. could use as grounds to arrest leadership, as it did with former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.