U.S. Claims Up to 5,000 Cubans Fighting for Russia in Ukraine

The Trump administration has instructed U.S. diplomats around the world to lobby against a United Nations resolution calling for an end to Washington’s decades-long embargo on Cuba, arguing that Havana has actively supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Reuters, citing an internal State Department cable.

According to the document, American envoys were told to inform foreign governments that Cuba and its president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, have provided direct backing to Moscow’s war efforts, including the deployment of an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 Cuban nationals fighting alongside Russian forces.

The cable described Cuba as “the largest supplier of foreign fighters for Russia’s aggression after North Korea” and directed diplomats to encourage partners to oppose, abstain, or refrain from participating in the upcoming General Assembly vote on the non-binding resolution – an initiative adopted annually since 1992 that overwhelmingly criticizes the U.S. embargo.

A State Department spokesperson declined to provide further details on the alleged Cuban fighters but said Washington was aware of reports indicating that Cuban citizens are taking part in Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.

“The Cuban regime has failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns in the Russia-Ukraine war,” the official said.

The memo also argued that the U.N. resolution “wrongly blames the United States” for Cuba’s economic hardship, which the Trump administration attributes to Havana’s “own corruption and mismanagement.” The campaign aims to reduce the number of countries voting in favor of the resolution this year.

Last year, the General Assembly backed the motion with 187 votes in favor, while only the United States and Israel opposed it. Moldova abstained.

Washington has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Cuba since the 1959 revolution, maintaining the Cold War-era trade embargo that can only be lifted by the U.S. Congress. 

Havana, for its part, blames U.S. restrictions for a severe economic crisis marked by shortages of essentials, collapsing infrastructure, and soaring inflation.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukrainian Intelligence has informed the US Congress that Russia has recruited at least 20,000 Cubans to participate in the war against Ukraine as mercenaries.