Ukraine to Close Embassy in Cuba Over Havana’s Support for Russia’s War
Ukraine will shut down its embassy in Havana and downgrade diplomatic relations with Cuba in protest over Havana’s continued alignment with Moscow and its alleged role in sending Cuban citizens to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine.
The Gaze reports this, referring to a statement made by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Speaking after a vote at the UN General Assembly, where Ukraine opposed the annual resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba, Sybiha said Kyiv could no longer ignore Cuba’s open support for Russia’s aggression.
“We remember the Cuban President’s wish of “success” to Putin in his war of aggression against Ukraine. We heard it well,” Sybiha said. “This year, we decided to close our embassy in Havana and downgrade our diplomatic ties. Our vote is not against the Cuban people – we respect their right to live in prosperity.”
According to the minister, Kyiv’s vote against the resolution was a direct response to Cuba’s failure to prevent the recruitment of its citizens by the Russian army.
Thousands of Cubans, Sybiha said, have signed military contracts and are now fighting on Ukrainian soil as part of Russian occupation forces.
“The unwillingness of Havana to stop the massive deployment of its nationals in the Russian war against Ukraine constitutes complicity in aggression and must be condemned in the strongest terms. Ukraine will always oppose such a practice and defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,” he added.
Earlier, Ukrainian officials described the Cuban government as a “strategic asset of Russia,” actively backing the Kremlin’s war against a sovereign European state.
Intelligence sources in Kyiv estimate that up to 25,000 Cuban nationals may now be serving in Russian military units – the largest contingent of foreign fighters in the war.
Western intelligence has also expressed concern that Cuba is becoming increasingly involved in Russian military and intelligence operations that poses wider risks to international security.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed American diplomats to press for maintaining the embargo, citing reports that more than 5,000 Cubans are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Read more on The Gaze: Latin America and the War in Ukraine: Allies, Neutrals, and Supporters of Moscow