Russia Shows Support for Cuba as Trump Warns Havana Government “Is Ready to Fall”

Russia’s Interior Minister has arrived in Cuba in a clear display of solidarity, following sharp warnings from US President Donald Trump that the island’s long‑standing communist government is on the brink of collapse.

Trump recently urged Havana to “make a deal” without specifying terms or face consequences similar to Venezuela, where US forces ousted Nicolás Maduro in a January 3 bombing raid that killed dozens. Venezuela had long been a crucial ally and supplier of oil to Cuba, support Trump has vowed to cut off.

Russia Condemns US Actions in Venezuela
Upon landing in Havana, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev told Russian state TV that Moscow views the US strike on Venezuela as “unprovoked armed aggression” and said the situation underscores the need for heightened vigilance against external threats.

The Russian embassy confirmed that Kolokoltsev will hold several bilateral meetings during his visit.

Deepening Russia Cuba Ties
Both Russia and Cuba remain under Western sanctions and have strengthened their relationship since 2022, as Moscow seeks new partners following its invasion of Ukraine.
Cuba, meanwhile, is battling its worst economic crisis in decades and now faces intensified pressure from Washington.

US Pressure on Havana and Caracas
Trump has warned Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez that she will pay “a very big price” if she does not align with Washington’s demands particularly regarding access to Venezuelan oil and distancing from Cuba, Russia, China and Iran.

In parallel, the US chief of mission in Cuba met with the head of US Southern Command in Miami to discuss regional security, including Cuba and the Caribbean. The command oversees operations that have intercepted Venezuelan oil tankers and targeted suspected drug‑trafficking vessels.

Historical Context
Cuba has been a persistent adversary of the United States since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution.
Havana and Moscow were close allies during the Cold War until the Soviet collapse in 1991.
The Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba triggered the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis one of the closest moments the US and USSR came to nuclear war.