Russia rushed to assist Cuba, its long-standing ally.
Author: Tolib Aliyev, analyst, especially for “Sangar”
The Russian Embassy in Cuba reported that on March 30, 2026, the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin delivered 100,000 tons of oil to Cuba, which had been unable to receive supplies since early January of this year due to a de facto blockade imposed by the United States.
The embassy also quoted the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, who emphasized that “Russia considers it its duty not to stand aside and to provide the necessary assistance to our Cuban friends.”
Russia’s ambassador to Cuba, Viktor Koronelli, noted that Russia is supporting Cuba “under conditions of unprecedented pressure and threats from the United States.”
On February 18, 2026, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during a meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla, condemned the illegitimate restrictive measures taken by the United States against Havana.
The official spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commenting on the executive order published in the United States on January 29, stated that this document represents a radical relapse into Washington’s previously used strategy of pressure on the “Island of Freedom,” aimed at its economic strangulation. She stressed that Russia’s position on this issue remains unchanged.
According to Zakharova, Moscow considers unilateral sanction measures against sovereign states — imposed bypassing the United Nations, its Charter, and other norms of international law — to be categorically unacceptable.
“We strongly condemn illegitimate restrictive measures against Havana, as well as pressure on the Cuban leadership and citizens of this country. We are confident that despite externally imposed obstacles, Cuba will continue to develop effective foreign economic relations,” Zakharova added.
In early January 2026, following an operation against Venezuela, the United States announced the suspension of oil supplies to Cuba. The government in Havana was ready for the negotiations proposed by Donald Trump, but these talks never took place.
On January 29, the American leader signed an order stating that the United States would impose tariffs on goods from countries supplying oil to Cuba. Earlier, Trump had declared that Cuba poses a threat to U.S. national security.
After the outbreak of an armed conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran, the global oil market faced supply disruptions. Against this backdrop, Trump decided to ease some sanctions on Russian oil. In particular, he authorized the sale of fuel that had been loaded onto tankers before March 12, 2026.
