Cubans demand consistency from the Spanish government in its support for Ukraine through a letter addressed to Pedro Sánchez, where they view such support as inconsistent while simultaneously strengthening financial backing for the Cuban dictatorship.
Cuban leaders and organizations urge Sánchez to adopt a coherent policy by conditioning aid to Cuba, given that the Havana regime has become a preferential ally of Vladimir Putin. They describe this behavior as a contradiction.
They point out that one of the main pieces of evidence is that Cuban citizens make up the largest group of foreigners serving in the Russian army in Ukraine. They request that Sánchez suspend all aid to Havana until it halts its support for Putin’s war.
Cubans ask Sánchez to rectify the incoherence
Just before a meeting between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a coalition of about thirty Cuban organizations and leaders sent a formal letter on November 17, 2025, urging the Spanish leader to correct a significant incoherence in his foreign policy.
They argue that it is contradictory to firmly support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression while simultaneously providing significant financial and political backing to the Cuban regime, described as a “preferential ally of Vladimir Putin.”
They emphasize that the Cuban government offers substantial support to Russia in military, diplomatic, and intelligence domains. The central evidence for this is the mass recruitment of Cuban citizens for the Russian army, which constitutes the largest foreign contingent.
Among the most prominent signatories are:
- Rosa María Payá, founder of Cuba Decide.
- Manuel Iglesias, president of the Center for a Free Cuba.
- Orlando Gutiérrez, secretary of the Cuban Resistance Assembly (ARC), a coalition of more than 30 opposition organizations.
- Sylvia G. Iriondo, president of M.A.R. por Cuba.
Governmental action lines in opposition
The letter articulates a direct critique of the duality of Spanish policy since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Two lines of governmental action that operate in direct opposition are identified.
Support for Ukraine:
They recognize the firm commitment of the Spanish government to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
This support is materialized through military aid, substantial financial contributions, and the reception of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
Support for Cuba:
Concurrently, they accuse the Spanish government of having maintained and even strengthened its backing for the “Cuban dictatorship.”
They stress that since the beginning of the conflict, “the Havana regime has become one of Vladimir Putin’s preferential allies.”
The fundamental contradiction, they argue, lies in that Spain finances a state actor that actively supports the Russian war machine, undermining Spanish and European efforts to defend Ukraine.
To support their argument, the organizations present specific evidence demonstrating the multifaceted collaboration of the Cuban regime with Russia in the context of the war.
Military: The Cuban regime facilitates the recruitment of its citizens for the Russian army. Cubans represent the largest foreign contingent serving Moscow.
Quantitative data: Reports from August indicate that at least 7,000 Cubans are currently fighting in Ukraine under the Russian flag. It is estimated that between 200 and 300 Cuban fighters have died on the front.
Regime involvement: Citing the Ukrainian ambassador to the UN, Andrii Melnyk, it is stated that recruitment is not just a set of individual actions but a systematic practice involving illegal networks operating openly with the regime’s knowledge.
Other areas: The letter denounces that Cuba operates as a “substantial support for Russia” in the diplomatic, propaganda, and intelligence fronts.
Spanish financial support for the Cuban regime
The criticism intensifies as it details the actions of the Spanish government that directly benefit the Cuban regime, despite repeated requests against it from European institutions.
Ongoing aid: The Spanish government defends maintaining aid to Cuba outlined in the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, ignoring requests from the European Parliament and the Joint Committee for the European Union to condition such aid.
Debt conversion: In a direct financial support action, in July of the previous year, Spain approved a special program to convert €375 million of Cuba’s debt.
This policy amounts to indirectly financing Russia’s main ally in the region, contradicting the declared goals of Spanish policy towards Ukraine.
Specific request to Pedro Sánchez
Before the imminent meeting with President Zelensky, Cuban organizations demand that President Sánchez align his policies and demonstrate coherence in his commitment to the peace and sovereignty of Ukraine.
The central request is for the Spanish government to “approve conditioning any form of aid to the Cuban regime on the condition that it ceases its support for Putin’s war.” This step is presented as a necessary measure to ensure that Spain’s support for Ukraine is whole and not compromised by its ties with the aggressor’s allies.