❓WHAT HAPPENED: Russia is preparing to send urgently needed oil to Cuba under what officials are describing as a “humanitarian” arrangement.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Russian officials, the Cuban government, U.S. policymakers, and stranded tourists.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The Russian government made the announcement on February 12, 2026, amid U.S. sanctions and limited oil imports to Cuba.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The stranglehold imposed by the United States is already causing a lot of difficulties for Cuba,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
🎯IMPACT: Cuba’s energy crisis has led to power outages, halted flights, and stranded thousands of Russian and other foreign tourists as airlines are unable to refuel.
Russia has indicated it will defy U.S. sanctions and other restrictions enacted by U.S. President Donald J. Trump against the exportation of oil to Cuba. In what the Kremlin is describing as a “humanitarian” arrangement, the Russian Embassy in Havana states that “as far as we know, Russia is expected to supply oil and petroleum products to Cuba as humanitarian aid in the near future.”
The decision by the Russian government comes as Cuba faces its worst energy crisis in at least a decade. Following the ouster of Venezuela’s Marxist dictator, Nicolás Maduro, by the U.S. military earlier this year, Cuba lost a key supplier of oil and fuel, turning what was already a dire situation facing the Caribbean island’s communist government into an unprecedented crisis.
Mexico, another key supplier of oil for Cuba, has also halted shipments under pressure from the Trump administration. The National Pulse reported earlier this week that Cuban officials have warned airlines that the island’s airports may no longer be able to fuel aircraft due to the oil shortage.
Meanwhile, the communist regime has been forced to enact severe fuel rationing, with many Cubans comparing current conditions to the “Special Period” of the 1990s, when the collapse of Soviet support triggered widespread shortages. Notably, the fuel shortage is affecting daily life across the island. Public transportation has been reduced, fuel sales are restricted and often priced in U.S. dollars, and major cultural events such as the Havana International Book Fair have been canceled. In a televised address, President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned citizens that additional austerity measures could be introduced as the crisis worsens.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the situation, stating, “The stranglehold imposed by the United States is already causing a lot of difficulties for Cuba.” He added that Russia and Cuba are discussing ways to mitigate the crisis and provide assistance to the island nation.
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