The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal statement of support for Cuba on Thursday following the vote in the UN General Assembly regarding the U.S. embargo, which had resulted in the most unfavorable outcome for Havana in the 34 years that this resolution has been presented.
Moscow described the embargo as "illegal and inhumane" and demanded its "prompt, total, and unconditional" lifting, while stating that several countries were subjected to "pressure and blackmail" to refrain from supporting the text.
"We know that this time many countries faced intense pressure and blackmail to force them not to support this resolution. Despite this, the vote once again demonstrated the international community's rejection of Washington's unilateral coercive measures," stated the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The statement, also published on the official MAE channel on Telegram, also denounced what Moscow termed an "aggressive energy blockade" that would have put Cuban citizens "on the brink of survival," and asserted that Washington's aim is to "destabilize the internal political situation, force a change of government, and impose on Cubans another development pathway designed from abroad."
The statement concluded with a message of solidarity: "We admire the strength and courage of the Government and the people of Cuba," and reaffirmed that "Russia will always stand shoulder to shoulder with Cuba."
Russia's support comes after a vote that marked a historic turning point: the resolution A/81/L.5 was approved on Wednesday with 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions, compared to the 165 supports garnered in 2025 and the 187 in 2024. The cumulative decline over two years exceeds 57 favorable votes.
Among the 17 countries that voted against are, in addition to the United States and Israel, Latin American nations such as Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Paraguay. Colombia did so for the first time, reversing the supportive vote it had cast in 2025.
Despite the diplomatic setback, Miguel Díaz-Canel described the outcome as a "victory," as reported during a visit to the William Soler University Pediatric Hospital in Havana.
The Russian permanent representative to the UN, Vasili Nebenzia, had intervened on Monday in the pre-vote debate to link Moscow's position with the principles of sovereignty outlined in the UN Charter and to request that Cuba be removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The support from Moscow comes in the context of an active bilateral relationship but with practical obstacles: in 2026, a Russian vessel carrying 251,000 barrels of diesel remained for weeks in the Atlantic unable to reach Cuba due to sanctions from the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.
It is important to remember that the General Assembly's resolution is not legally binding: it does not lift or modify the embargo, the elimination of which depends solely on the U.S. Congress, making its impact political and symbolic.
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