Ukraine will close its embassy in Havana after voting at the UN against the Cuban resolution that calls for the end of the embargo on the island, advertisement on the social network X the chancellor of the European country, Andrii Sybiha.
“This measure is not sudden. And it has serious reasons. We remember the Cuban President’s wish for “success” for Putin in his war of aggression against Ukraine. We heard it clearly. This year, we decided to close our embassy in Havana and reduce our diplomatic ties,” said Sybiha.
For the moment, it is inferred from the statement that diplomatic relations between Havana and Kiev are maintained, but without defining at what level of importance and operation.
According to the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, the vote in the United Nations “is not against the Cuban people — we respect their right to live in prosperity. It is against the inaction of the Cuban authorities in the face of the massive recruitment of Cuban citizens for the Russian occupation army.”
“Thousands of them have signed contracts, joining the ranks of soldiers directly involved in combat operations on Ukrainian soil. Havana’s unwillingness to stop the massive deployment of its nationals in the Russian war against Ukraine constitutes complicity in aggression and must be condemned in the strongest terms. Ukraine will always oppose such a practice,” Sybiha stressed.
At least a thousand Cubans have fought in the Russian Army, according to Ukraine
Cubans in the Ukraine conflict
A recent statement from the Government of Cuba recognized the participation of Cubans in the Ukraine conflict “on their own,” but assured that they have been recruited by foreign organizations, with which it says it has “no ties.”
“The Cubans participating in both sides of the armed confrontation have been recruited through organizations that do not reside in our country, nor have any ties with the Cuban government,” the official statement noted.
Last May, on an official visit to Moscow for the 79th anniversary of the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany, President Miguel Díaz-Canel wished Russian President Vladimir Putin success in the Russian military campaign in Ukraine on Thursday, during a meeting held in the Kremlin.
“We wish the Russian Federation success in the special military operation,” said Díaz-Canel at the beginning of the meeting in which he denounced the “geopolitical manipulation” of the United States. according to reported an office from the Spanish agency EFE.
Furthermore, he stressed that Russia “will always” be able to count on the support of its Cuban “friends” and “brothers,” and condemned “the threat of NATO’s approach to the Russian borders.”
Chernobyl tragedy and Cuban aid
Cuba provided free medical care to more than 25,000 victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, mostly Ukrainian children, between 1990 and 2011, being one of the country’s most extensive and sustained humanitarian programs.
After the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in April 1986, Cuba responded to the international request for medical aid with the creation of the Cuban Program for Care of Chernobyl Children.
This project officially began in March 1990 and was developed for more than two decades at the Tarará Pediatric Hospital, on the outskirts of Havana. There, more than 20,000 children and around 5,000 adults were treated free of charge, mainly from Ukraine, but also from Russia and Belarus.
Patients received treatment for diseases such as cancer, leukemia, dermatological, endocrine and psychological conditions, many of them associated with radiation exposure.
Cuba assumed all medical, lodging and food costs, without demanding any remuneration. This gesture was recognized internationally as an example of medical solidarity.
In 2025, on the 35th anniversary of the start of the program, Cuban and Ukrainian authorities recalled the positive impact of this initiative, which continues to be a symbol of cooperation between both peoples, pointed out the newspaper Workers.
