Kathrine Frich
Cuba is facing a severe fuel shortage that has pushed the island to the brink of paralysis.
As supplies dry up, Moscow is preparing to step in a move that risks escalating already strained relations with Washington.
The unfolding crisis is rapidly becoming another flashpoint between Russia and the United States.
Fuel supplies dry
Russia is preparing to send oil and petroleum products to Cuba, the Russian embassy in Havana told Izvestia.
Diplomats said deliveries would take place soon “as humanitarian aid,” though no volumes were disclosed.
The announcement comes as US President Donald Trump threatens additional tariffs on countries attempting to supply Cuba with fuel.
The island has not received foreign oil for a month and domestic reserves are nearly depleted.
At the end of January, Kpler estimated Cuba could function for no more than 20 days without new imports. The last shipment arrived January 9 from Mexico, which halted exports after Trump’s warnings.
Venezuela, previously Cuba’s second-largest supplier, stopped deliveries after January 3, when US special forces captured its leader, Nicolas Maduro.
Moscow steps in
According to Izvestia, the last major Russian oil shipment to Cuba was in February last year. Around 100,000 tons, or 733,000 barrels, were delivered under a $60 million state loan approved by President Vladimir Putin.
Nikolai Dudchenko, an analyst at FG Finam, said that without strict rationing the volume would have covered roughly 20 days of demand, noting that Cuba imported an average of 37,000 barrels per day in 2025.
Russia’s renewed support could carry economic and political consequences. Igor Yushkov of the National Energy Security Fund warned that assisting Havana may further damage relations with Washington.
He pointed to the possibility of tanker detentions, referencing the Marinera vessel previously seized while transporting Venezuelan oil. Yushkov also highlighted Russia’s record budget deficit, questioning how easily Moscow could provide fuel free of charge.
Political stakes rise
In early February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with his Cuban counterpart that Moscow was prepared to offer financial support.
He described US actions, including blocking oil supplies, as “unacceptable,” warning they threaten “a serious deterioration of the economic and humanitarian situation in the country.”
The Kremlin has labelled Trump’s policy “suffocating measures” and described Cuba’s fuel shortage as “critical.”
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was considering providing Havana with “whatever assistance it can provide.”
Russia and Cuba share a long financial history.
In 2014, Putin wrote off 90% of Cuba’s $35.2 billion debt, cancelling $32 billion. That year, Russia’s total budget spending amounted to about $414.5 billion.
Sources: Digi24, Izvestia
