October 8, 2025 — Belly of the Beast
Cuba has introduced a resolution every year for the last three decades at the United Nations General Assembly calling on the world to condemn the U.S. embargo against Cuba.
The result has been almost exactly the same every time: nearly every country in the world has condemned the embargo. The two countries that have consistently voted against the resolution have been the United States and Israel.
But the Trump administration wants a different outcome this time round.
An internal State Department cable seen by Reuters is directing U.S. diplomats worldwide to lobby against the resolution by pointing to Cuba’s supposed support of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Diplomats will tell countries that there are 5,000 Cuban troops in Ukraine. The number stems from Ukrainian intelligence reports, and has not been verified.
There are many reports of Cubans fighting in the war, with several losing their lives. According to some of these Cubans (in Spanish), they have been manipulated into entering the war, following the promise of jobs and passports in Russia.
But there is no credible evidence that the recruitment is taking place with the collaboration or support of the Cuban government. Cuba has denied (in Spanish) any involvement and prosecuted individuals on the island involved in such cases.
