Collapse of Russia’s 'Caribbean empire': How Kremlin losing its main stronghold off US coast
Illustrative photo: serious problems have begun in Cuba (Getty Images)
The policy of US President Donald Trump toward Cuba has led to life on the island virtually coming to a halt. Serious problems are being observed primarily with fuel, according to CNN and Kyiv Post correspondent Jason Jay Smart on Twitter (X).
Read also: Trump declares national emergency over Cuba, threatens tariffs on countries supplying oil
Key points
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The US cut off oil supplies to force Havana into radical political and economic reforms.
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Cuba, for the first time in decades, has been left without energy subsidies following the halt of Venezuelan aid.
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Due to fuel shortages, international flights have been canceled, the industry has stopped, and cities have plunged into darkness.
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Russian failure: the Kremlin is evacuating tourists and cannot repair Cuba’s air defense systems due to a lack of spare parts.
Fuel blockade and isolation
According to reports, the US cut off the flow of oil to the island in an effort to force the communist government to implement political and economic reforms. The situation has been further complicated by military actions in Venezuela and the threat of tariffs against Mexico.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the Cuban regime, which previously survived thanks to subsidies from the USSR and Venezuela, is now left without external support for the first time.
Collapse of infrastructure and the economy
CNN reports that due to an acute fuel shortage, life on the island, home to 10 million people, is gradually coming to a standstill.
Flights from Russia and Canada have been canceled due to a lack of aviation fuel for long-haul trips. The UK and Canada have already advised their citizens to refrain from traveling to Cuba.
At the same time, schools have been closed, and workers are being sent on forced leave to save energy. Havana and other cities plunge into total darkness every night due to rolling blackouts.
Problems are also affecting other sectors: Sherritt International has halted nickel and cobalt production, and the annual Habanos cigar festival, which generates millions of dollars in revenue, has been canceled.
Meanwhile, public hospitals have reduced services, and streets are littered with waste due to non-functioning garbage trucks.
Threat of hunger
Most food in Cuba is imported, but due to power outages, private companies can no longer store products in refrigerators and are ceasing operations.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has called on the population for "creative resistance" and adopting a wartime mindset, warning that food cannot be transported between municipalities due to fuel shortages.
Russia losing control
Amid this crisis in Cuba, Jason Jay Smart noted that the Kremlin’s "Caribbean empire" is collapsing.
Specifically, Russia cannot repair Cuba’s air defense systems — the S-75 (developed in 1957) and S-125 (developed in 1961) — at Havana’s request because the aggressor country has run out of spare parts.
Moscow has also begun evacuating its tourists from Cuba, as there is a risk that aviation fuel will not be sufficient for return flights.
"If Russia cannot fuel planes for its own civilians, clearly it cannot sustain power projection," Smart writes.
In his view, "game is nearly over for the Kremlin."
Last October, Reuters reported that US authorities had identified 5,000 Cubans fighting against Ukraine on Russia’s side. Washington also stated that the Cuban government actively supports Russian aggression.
In Washington, officials noted that the Cuban government actively supports Russian aggression.
