Russia weighing fuel aid for crisis-hit Cuba

Havana is struggling with one of its worst energy crises in years amid US economic pressure

The Russian government is considering possible support measures for Cuba, which is dealing with a major energy crisis, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak has said.

US economic pressure and restrictions on suppliers have sharply reduced oil deliveries to the Caribbean nation.

Speaking to reporters after a government report to the State Duma on Wednesday, Novak said proposals on the issue were under discussion at cabinet level. “The intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Cuba is dealing with this,” he stated.

Fuel shortages and electricity outages have forced the Cuban government to introduce emergency measures. They include a four-day workweek for state enterprises, limits on fuel sales, cuts to bus and rail services between provinces, and the temporary closure of certain tourist facilities. The Cuban authorities have warned airlines that they will suspend supplies of aviation fuel for a month due to the worsening crisis. Long haul flights from the island have been forced to make refueling stops at airports in neighboring countries.

Read more

US President Donald Trump praised his strategy of economically isolating the island nation as a means of forcing Havana to make concessions. The fuel crisis deepened after US forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, cutting off Caracas’s oil exports, a key source for import-dependent Cuba.

Last month, Trump accused the Cuban government of aligning with “hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups and malign actors” and saying economic pressure would force Havana to “want to make a deal.” He warned that, absent a deal, Cuba could face a US military incursion like the one in Venezuela, claiming American forces could seize Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel “without it being very tough.” Havana rejected threats and coercion, saying talks must be based on equality and respect.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned what he called the US “blockade” of Cuba during a meeting with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla in Moscow last week, describing the restrictions as “completely unacceptable.” Parrilla thanked Russia for its “extraordinary and unwavering solidarity.”