Vladimir Putin sharply criticized the administration's fuel blockade of Cuba Donald Trumpstating that Moscow considers the latest restrictions “unacceptable.” Cuba is struggling with a deepening economic crisis, compared to the greatest challenge since the collapse of the Soviet Union, writes CNBC.
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“This is a special period, with new sanctions. You know what we think about this. We do not accept such a thing” Putin said on Wednesday during a meeting in the Kremlin with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS.
Russia, a Cuban ally for decades, recently described the fuel situation in Havana as “truly critical” and said it was actively discussing what assistance it could provide to the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, February 18, 2026.
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PAP/EPA/PAVEL BEDNYAKOV / POOL / PAP
“We have always been on Cuba's side in its fight for independence, for the right to follow its own path of development, and we have always supported the Cuban people,” Putin said.
“We know how difficult the last decades have been for the Cuban people, who have fought for the right to live according to their own principles and to defend their national interests,” he added.
The US cut off Cuba from oil
The United States effectively cut off Cuba from Venezuelan oil after the overthrow of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Cuba reported that 32 of its citizens were killed in the attack.
Donald Trump announced the imposition of tariffs on any country supplying oil to Havana and described its government as an “extraordinary and extraordinary threat.”
The Cuban government, which has condemned U.S. pressure, recently took measures to protect essential services and ration fuel supplies to key sectors.
He also suspended the annual cigar festival that was scheduled to be held in Havana later this month, but gave no details on a new date.
Cuba is drowning in garbage
Photos from everyday life in Cuba have shown piles of waste littering the streets of Havana in recent days as many waste trucks were left with empty fuel tanks.
The White House said it was in Cuba's interest to make big changes quickly, although it stopped short of calling for a change of government.
“This is a regime that is failing. Their country is failing, and that's why we believe it's in their best interest to make very radical changes as quickly as possible,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.
Source: CNBC
