Russia plans to provide aid to oil-producing Cuba.
The Russian embassy said Moscow could provide oil to Cuba as a form of humanitarian aid.
According to RIA Novosti on February 12, the Russian Embassy in Havana, Cuba, stated that Russia plans to provide oil and petroleum products to Cuba as humanitarian aid.
"In the near future, Russia plans to supply oil and petroleum products to Cuba as humanitarian aid," the Russian diplomat said.
The embassy noted that Havana needs the support of its allies, and Moscow has repeatedly and publicly expressed its willingness to assist in this matter.
Earlier, on January 29, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba. Trump also declared a state of emergency, citing the perceived threat Cuba poses to US national security.
The island's economy was already struggling due to decades of U.S. sanctions, but things quickly worsened in January when shipments were halted from its main supplier, Venezuela, following a U.S. military campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
Mexico, another oil supplier to Cuba, also announced on Monday that it would temporarily suspend oil shipments after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican exports to the United States.
Several medical facilities have also been severely affected by the fuel shortage. Local media reported that some provincial hospitals have had to cancel surgeries and transfer outpatients. Essential medical supplies such as painkillers, bandages, and antibiotics are also unavailable.
Last week, the Cuban government announced a plan to reduce energy consumption in the tourism sector, including increasing the density of tourist facilities and taking advantage of the current peak season.
The United Nations warned that "the vast majority of the Cuban population" is suffering from rolling blackouts, and that the humanitarian collapse will "worse, and if not lead to total collapse, if the country's oil needs are not met."
