Supporting Cuba means financing a war against Europe
Since the invasion of Ukraine, the Cuban government has emerged as a major partner of Putin, supporting him diplomatically, through propaganda and intelligence, and also militarily.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban dictator Miguel Diaz-Canel.
"Political correctness is destroying Europe." With these blunt words, Donald Trump addressed his European allies present at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The U.S. president spoke with candor, insisting that true friendship requires honesty: with friends, he said, you must tell the truth to their faces. And that is exactly what he did. His message, filled with warnings, ended on a note of affection: “I love Europe.”
With this framework the president warned about energy policy, the risks of open borders, the mistake of rewarding Hamas and the recognition of the Palestinian state. But the moment he really struck a chord was when he called out Europe’s response to the invasion of Ukraine: "Europeans keep buying energy from Russia. They finance the war against themselves."
"Europeans keep buying energy from Russia. They fund the war against themselves."
Trump is right. On one hand, Europe has maintained a tough stance against the Kremlin, reaffirmed its support for Zelensky, and stepped up sanctions to isolate Putin and weaken the Russian economy. On the other hand, it has simultaneously increased imports of liquefied natural gas, cementing Russia's position as Europe's second largest gas supplier.
Energy export's remain crucial to Russian state finances, accounting for an estimated 25% of its budget. Much of these exports end up in countries that are supposed to be opposing Russia. Last year, European countries imported roughly 17.8 million tons of gas from Russia, and spending on these imports rose 30% in the first quarter of 2025. Spain, a government long reluctant to meet defense spending obligations, ranks second among European importers.
Trump is right: Europe is financing Putin’s war. At this point, it should also be noted that Europe is funding one of the Kremlin’s key allies: Cuba.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, the Cuban government has emerged as a key partner of Putin, supporting him diplomatically, through propaganda and intelligence, and militarily. Ukrainian sources estimate that around 20,000 Cubans have been recruited to fight under the Russian flag since the invasion, with 39 reported dead. All this has happened while Europe continues to provide aid and maintain cooperation with the Cuban government.
On at least three occasions, the European Parliament has called for the suspension of the so-called Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba, which channels hundreds of millions of euros into projects on the island. The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, has ignored these calls. Meanwhile, the Cuban government, despite holding nearly $18 billion in liquid assets while its own people live in misery, continues to devote its resources to fighting every war against the West.
Europe continues to fund Cuba—and in doing so, it funds the war against itself.
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