The Russian Embassy in Cuba confirmed this Monday to the Russian newspaper Izvestia that the expansion of the BRICS with new full members is not on the agenda of the bloc, thus dismissing the Cuban regime's aspirations to elevate its status within the organization.
"Cuba continues to engage with BRICS member countries as a partner nation. As far as we know, the issue of expanding the number of full members of the organization is not currently on the table," stated the Russian diplomatic representation.
The slam of the door comes days after the Cuban Embassy in Moscow publicly announced, between August 20 and 21, Havana's intention to move from "partner country" to "full member," seeking support "especially from Russia."
The refusal is particularly striking given the extent of the Cuban regime's subordination to Moscow's interests: Cuba has allowed its territory to be used by Russian forces and has tolerated —according to reports— the mass recruitment of Cuban citizens as mercenaries for the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence estimated before the United States Congress that Russia has recruited at least 20,000 Cubans to fight in that conflict, with nominal lists verifying more than 1,000 signed contracts and at least 54 confirmed deaths.
In terms of energy, Cuba's dependency on Moscow is equally critical, although Russian supplies have been erratic and insufficient.
The last Russian ship carrying fuel arrived at the island in late March: the tanker Anatoli Kolodkin unloaded 100,000 tons of crude oil in Matanzas, enough to supply energy for just seven to 10 days.
Since then, shipments have been halted. In May, the Russian tanker Universal changed course and departed from Cuba without delivering its cargo, worsening the already severe energy crisis on the island.
China, the other major ally of the regime, has also not advanced Cuba's full membership in the BRICS, despite maintaining intense energy cooperation: it has installed 49 solar parks on the island and last January approved emergency aid of 80 million dollars in electrical equipment.
The Cuban history with the bloc begins in October 2024, when the regime officially requested its incorporation through a letter addressed to Vladimir Putin. The response from the Kazan summit was to admit Cuba only as a "partner country," a category without voting rights or decision-making power.
Since then, Havana has intensified its diplomacy without results: the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel traveled to Brazil in July 2025 to participate in the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, and the Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla attended the meeting of foreign ministers in New Delhi last May, where he requested support from the bloc in the face of a possible military aggression from the United States against Cuba.
None of these efforts have managed to make a difference. The bloc requires consensus from all its full members to admit new members, which makes the Russian rejection a significant obstacle.
The next BRICS summit will be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, under Indian presidency, without Cuba being listed on the agenda as a candidate for full membership.
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