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US Targets Cuba at UN, Citing Thousands of Cubans Fighting in Ukraine for Russia
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
The US President Trump administration is rallying allies to oppose a United Nations resolution calling for an end to Washington’s decades-long embargo on Cuba. The US cites Havana’s alleged support for Russia’s war in Ukraine as the reason for its diplomatic push, Reuters reported on October 5.
According to a State Department cable dated October 2 and reviewed by Reuters, US diplomats were instructed to inform foreign governments that the Cuban regime is “actively supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” with as many as 1,000 to 5,000 Cubans fighting alongside Russian troops.
“After North Korea, Cuba is the largest contributor of foreign troops to Russia’s aggression,” the cable said.
Russian telegram channels have published a video showing two #Cuban mercenaries who are fighting against #Ukraine.
— InformNapalm (@InformNapalm) November 10, 2023
We shall remind you that earlier we published an #OSINT investigation into the ways of recruiting Cuban mercenaries for the #Russian army.https://t.co/advJQO8Dc8 pic.twitter.com/YQLAFrqnJv
The document, sent to dozens of US embassies, directed diplomats to lobby against the non-binding resolution, which has passed overwhelmingly every year since 1992. Last year, 187 countries backed the measure, with only the US and Israel opposing it while Moldova abstained.
Washington argues the resolution unfairly blames the US for Cuba’s economic woes, which the cable attributed to Havana’s “own corruption and incompetence.”
Diplomats were told that “no” votes are preferred but that abstentions or absences would also be counted as progress toward weakening support.
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A State Department spokesperson defended the effort in comments to Reuters, saying: “The Trump Administration will not remain on the sidelines or support an illegitimate regime that undermines our national security interests in our region.”
The Cuban government has long blamed the embargo—imposed after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution—for shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, as well as the country’s broader economic collapse marked by inflation and crumbling infrastructure.
Earlier, Ukrainian officials have warned US lawmakers in recent weeks about what they describe as Russia’s growing recruitment of Cuban mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. A State Department spokesperson said Washington was “aware of the reports” but did not provide further details.
“The Cuban regime has failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns in the Russia-Ukraine war,” the spokesperson said.
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