MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla at the Kremlin Wednesday and called new U.S. restrictions against the island “unacceptable.” The talks came as Cuba seeks help to navigate a worsening fuel crisis and rising U.S. pressure over oil shipments, Feb. 18, 2026.
The visit underscored how Havana’s widening energy shortages and Washington’s tougher enforcement posture are pulling the longtime Cold War-era allies closer, with Moscow signaling it is prepared to help keep lights on and supplies moving.
Putin meets Cuban foreign minister as Moscow denounces fresh U.S. pressure
In remarks published by Reuters, Putin said Russia would not accept new measures targeting Cuba and told Rodríguez: “We do not accept anything like this.”
The Kremlin leader also said Russia-Cuba relations were developing “on a positive track,” Russian state media reported. Putin meets Cuban foreign minister visits have become a high-profile barometer of Moscow’s willingness to challenge U.S. policy in the hemisphere.
Putin meets Cuban foreign minister as Lavrov warns against a blockade
Hours earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov opened talks with Rodríguez by calling Cuba “a brotherly nation” and urging de-escalation. “We call on the United States to show common sense and responsibility and refrain from plans for a naval blockade,” Lavrov said, according to Reuters.
Lavrov also rejected U.S. accusations that Russian-Cuban cooperation threatens American interests, casting the dispute as part of a broader standoff over sanctions and influence.
Cuba’s fuel crisis adds urgency as Putin meets Cuban foreign minister
Cuba has struggled with recurring blackouts and fuel rationing in recent weeks, and Russian officials have framed the pressure as a de facto oil siege. The Associated Press reported that Russian officials said they were exploring ways to send assistance as U.S. threats to penalize oil suppliers squeeze Havana’s ability to import fuel for power plants and refineries.
Earlier this month, the Kremlin said the fuel situation in Cuba was “critical” and accused Washington of trying to “suffocate” the island’s economy, according to another Reuters report. Russia’s ambassador to Havana, Viktor Coronelli, separately said Moscow expected its pattern of oil deliveries to continue, Reuters reported.
Longer arc: why Putin meets Cuban foreign minister matters
Russia and Cuba have been rebuilding economic ties for more than a decade. In 2014, Moscow wrote off most of Cuba’s Soviet-era debt — a move widely seen as clearing the way for new investment and trade — as detailed in a Guardian report.
Energy has been a recurring centerpiece. In 2023, Lavrov visited Havana as part of a tour aimed at bolstering support among Latin American partners facing U.S. sanctions, Reuters reported at the time. The following year, Cuban state media said a 90,000-metric-ton shipment of Russian oil arrived to ease outages and gasoline shortages, according to Reuters.
For now, Putin meets Cuban foreign minister talks are likely to be watched less for headline-grabbing new agreements than for whether Russia can deliver practical relief — fuel, credit or logistics — as Cuba and the United States trade threats over the island’s access to energy.
