Kremlin says talks underway to help Cuba amid stifling US sanctions

18:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Kremlin says talks underway to help Cuba amid stifling US sanctions

The Kremlin said on Monday that it is holding negotiations with Cuba to provide energy assistance, accusing the United States of imposing what it described as stifling sanctions on the island, even as the United Kingdom threatens military action against Russian oil tankers involved in such deliveries.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the situation in Cuba is critical and that Russia is working with its Cuban partners to identify possible solutions and offer whatever assistance it can. His remarks came days after Russia’s ambassador to Cuba, Viktor Coronelli, told state news agency RIA Novosti that Russian oil shipments to the island would continue despite warnings from Washington about potential tariffs on countries supplying fuel to the Caribbean nation.

Russia’s ability to follow through on those commitments is under growing scrutiny as the United Kingdom steps up pressure on what it calls Moscow’s shadow fleet, a network of aging and poorly maintained oil tankers operating under false flags to evade Western sanctions. British Defence Secretary John Healey said late last month that the UK would host talks with Baltic and Nordic countries to explore military options against the vessels, including the possibility of selling seized oil to support Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, speaking in January aboard a patrol vessel in the port of Helsinki, pledged to tighten enforcement against the shadow fleet through increased disruption and tougher measures. Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported that 23 vessels linked to the fleet using deceptive flags were detected in the English Channel and the Baltic Sea in January alone.

The United Kingdom also backed a US Coast Guard operation in January that seized a Russian-flagged tanker in the Atlantic for alleged sanctions violations. British defence sources told the Guardian that options for seizing additional vessels remain under consideration, with the Special Boat Service potentially involved in any such action.

Cuba’s energy crisis has deepened in recent weeks. The government announced emergency measures on Friday, including a four-day work week for state enterprises and strict fuel rationing, as the island’s power infrastructure nears collapse. The situation worsened after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January, cutting off roughly 35,000 barrels of oil per day that Venezuela had been supplying to Cuba.

Whether Russia can fill that gap remains uncertain. In January 2026, Russia’s seaborne crude exports to China reached a record 1.86 million barrels per day, up 46 percent from a year earlier, as Moscow offset reduced demand from India under US pressure. Cuba’s needs account for only a small fraction of those volumes, and past Russian oil shipments to the island have typically relied on sanctioned vessels and opaque routes to avoid detection.

The United Nations has warned of a potential humanitarian collapse in Cuba as fuel reserves dwindle, with independent analysts estimating the island has fewer than 20 days of fuel remaining if no tankers arrive.