Russia will continue oil shipments to Cuba despite US pressure

Russia will continue supplying oil to Cuba, reaffirming its longstanding support for the island despite mounting pressure from the United States, Russian Ambassador to Havana Viktor Koronelli said on Monday.

“Russian oil has been supplied to Cuba repeatedly in recent years. We assume this practice will continue,” Koronelli told RIA Novosti.

The statement comes after US President Donald Trump warned that Cuba was nearing collapse following a halt in Venezuelan oil shipments. Trump also vowed that no Venezuelan oil would be supplied to Cuba and threatened measures against countries that continued energy cooperation with the island nation.

Lavrov condemns US economic pressure on Cuba, pledges support
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s opposition to economic and military coercion against Cuba during a telephone conversation with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez on February 2, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The Ministry emphasized that Russia views efforts to block energy supplies to the Caribbean nation as unacceptable, warning that such measures risk triggering “a serious deterioration of the economic and humanitarian situation” on the island.

Moscow pledged continued support for Havana amid escalating US pressure aimed at regime change.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has accused the Trump administration of attempting to strangle his nation’s economy by threatening tariffs against any country engaged in oil trade with Havana. The Foreign Ministry in Havana has characterized US policy as an effort to force third countries to abandon sovereign commercial relations with Cuba.

Russia’s multifaceted support system
Moscow’s backing extends beyond diplomatic statements to encompass economic, energy, and military dimensions. In 2025, the two governments signed and subsequently ratified a bilateral military cooperation agreement establishing frameworks for specialist exchanges, joint exercises, and defense collaboration.

On the economic front, Russian officials have pledged approximately $1 billion in investments by 2030, including expansions at the strategic Mariel port. Moscow has also positioned itself as a key food supplier to Cuba, increasing agricultural exports by up to 20% in 2024, while Russian entities participate in efforts to modernize Cuba’s deteriorating power infrastructure.

However, Russia’s oil shipments to the island remain modest, roughly 100,000 tons annually, far below Cuba’s estimated daily requirement of 60,000 barrels. With Venezuelan deliveries collapsing to around 27,000 barrels per day and covering only one-third of Cuba’s needs, the island faces acute fuel shortages that have produced widespread blackouts lasting up to 12 hours daily in some regions.

Mexico has emerged as Cuba’s largest petroleum supplier, accounting for approximately 44% of oil imports in 2025, yet even these combined flows fall short of meeting the nation’s energy demands. The Trump administration’s threats of tariffs against countries selling oil to Cuba have further complicated Havana’s efforts to secure alternative supply sources, leaving the island in its most severe crisis since the Soviet collapse.