Crisis communication: Vladimir Putin speaks out in support of Cuba

Cuba is seeking support in the international arena in a situation of a large-scale energy crisis provoked by the actions of the United States. One of the countries that helps Cuba not only in words is Russia. On February 18, Vladimir Putin made it clear at a meeting with the head of the republic's Foreign Ministry, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla: the Russian Federation does not accept the island's oil blockade. Fuel shortages affect all areas of society, especially healthcare and tourism. To help overcome the crisis, Russia will send oil to Cuba as humanitarian aid. Spain and Mexico are ready to support the republic with food and medicines. Even Washington, which initiated the crisis itself, is ready to organize humanitarian supplies, but the United States pursues purely political interests.

Russia's support for Cuba

The crisis in Cuba is gaining momentum due to the US oil blockade. During the hours of greatest demand, more than half of the country's territory remains without electricity.

In hospitals, operations have to be stopped even in intensive care units. More than 32,000 pregnant women were at risk due to problems in the healthcare system. Reduced flights due to fuel shortages and rising transportation costs are also complicating the supply of vital resources. The shortage of medicines, equipment and supplies is getting worse. Hospitals lack even the most basic necessities—gauze, suture thread, and disinfectants.

There is a shortage of flour in the country. State-owned stores do not sell bread, and private producers take flour from the black market and significantly raise prices.

Almost all of Cuba's problems stem from oil shortages. To discuss the crisis on the island, Vladimir Putin met with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla on February 18. The Russian president immediately outlined his attitude to US pressure on Cuba, saying that Russia does not accept Washington's restrictions on Havana. He added: Russia knows how difficult decades of independence are for residents of the republic to struggle for the right to live by their own rules and protect their national interests. Moscow has always been on Havana's side.

— And now there is a special period, new sanctions. You know how we feel about this, we do not accept anything like this," Vladimir Putin said.

The Cuban Foreign Minister thanked Russia for its solidarity and support during a difficult period. Moscow is already providing financial assistance to Havana, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said earlier. The Russian Embassy in Cuba said that the country is preparing oil and petroleum products as humanitarian aid. At the same time, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin was present at the meeting between Putin and Parrilla.

A document on strategic cooperation has been in force between the Russian Federation and Cuba since 2009. In addition, the two heads of state, Vladimir Putin and Miguel Diaz-Canel, signed a joint statement on common approaches in international affairs in 2018.

Trade is one of the essential aspects of the relationship between the parties. The trade turnover between our countries is almost $250 million per year. About 80% is accounted for by Russian supplies, including wheat and vegetable oil. Cuba also supplies sugar, fruits and rum to Russia. Moscow invests in the development of high-tech industries, agriculture, and the social sphere of the island.

Tourism plays an important role in bilateral relations. Thousands of Russian travelers regularly visit Cuba, which is one of the main drivers of local economy. But tourism has also suffered greatly. Earlier, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation recommended that Russian operators suspend the sale of tours to the island. Rossiya and Nordwind Airlines have switched to outbound flights to Moscow since February 12. Major market players, such as PEGAS Touristik, have already stopped selling package tours to Cuba until September 2026.

Tour operators cannot resume trips to the island until the regulator cancels its recommendations, Dmitry Gorin, vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, told Izvestia. Restrictions apply to a number of other countries besides Cuba: Iran, Israel, Venezuela. But this applies only to organized flights. A person can get to Cuba on their own through transit, assuming full responsibility for the trip.

On February 10, the Association of Russian Tour Operators announced that up to 4.7 thousand Russian travelers were on the island, who had already encountered a number of problems. For example, some were evicted from hotels due to lack of electricity. According to official reports, Russians were often accommodated in higher-class hotels instead. However, tourists themselves reported that they lost their places in luxury hotels and moved to hotels of a lower class. According to the Russian Embassy, six outbound flights have taken place since February 9, and it is difficult to give an exact figure of the tourists remaining in Cuba.

US pressure on Cuba

Russia rejects the accusations that cooperation between Moscow and Havana allegedly poses a threat to the United States, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed at a meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, which took place on February 18 before the talks in the Kremlin.

From the point of view of the United States, any support for Cuba ruins the plans of the Donald Trump administration, which, in fact, implements the Monroe doctrine. It is based on the belief that the United States designates the entire Western Hemisphere as its sphere of interest.

At the same time, the United States already began to put its strategy into practice in January 2026, when it invaded Venezuela to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro.

The next target is Cuba. Havana has been under blockade since the 1960s, but a new round of pressure on Cuba is taking place right now. Donald Trump has announced that he will impose duties on any countries that start supplying oil to the island. And it worked, but not for everyone. For example, there are virtually no trade relations between the Russian Federation and the United States. So the American duties do not pose a particular danger to Russia.

Brazil, China, Mexico, Chile and others also expressed their support for Cuba. However, despite the statements, few people are ready to provide real financial support in times of crisis. In addition to Russia, Mexico decided to provide humanitarian assistance, which sent two ships from the country's Naval Forces to the shores of Cuba. There are 814 tons of food on the ships. Spain is also ready to provide financial support, which has prepared food and medical supplies worth €1 million.

Surprisingly, the United States can also organize humanitarian supplies. According to The Economist, the United States is going to send cooking gas and diesel fuel necessary for the operation of the water supply system to the island.

However, in this case, it may be more of a political step — an attempt to appease immigrants from the region against the background of tightening migration policy.

Congressional elections will be held in November, and about 70 million Latin Americans live in the United States, who are outraged by Washington's actions against Havana, Egor Lidovskaya, director general of the Hugo Chavez Latin American Cultural Center, told Izvestia. Most likely, Washington will make only a small handout, which will not cover the needs of Cubans in any way, but may add political points to American congressmen, the expert believes.