The Trump administration is stepping up its efforts to block a routine UN resolution that calls for the U.S. to lift its embargo on Cuba. This year, American diplomats have been directed to actively lobby allied countries to oppose or at the very least abstain from voting on the resolution. The U.S. strategy relies upon renewed allegations of Cuba aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, specifically, by sending between 1,000 and 5,000 combatants to fight alongside Russian troops. A U.S. State Department cable characterized the administration as portraying Cuba as a destabilizing actor and as such it should not have the sympathy or support of the UN.
Cuban Involvement in Ukraine: Assessing the Claims
The U.S. position is based on the claim that Cuba is more than symbolic: it is allegedly providing troops to Russia’s war. The cable sent out to the U.S. missions states that “after North Korea, Cuba is the second-largest contributor of foreign troops to Russia’s aggression,” and that as many as 5,000 Cubans are fighting in Ukraine. This is a spectacular claim and it is difficult to verify independently in open sources, especially in a conflict zone where fog of war and disinformation are rampant. However, Washington believes that by pushing these claims, it is putting pressure on other nations to refrain from support for UN resolutions that would recognize Cuba diplomatically.
Implications for Diplomacy, Cuba, and the UN
If successful, the U.S. effort could undermine the almost universal support the annual resolution to lift the Cuban embargo has historically received—when the votes occur, usually more than 180 votes in favor. More than classic voting, it suggests that the U.S. sees Cuba no longer just as a Cold War adversary but instead as a component of Russia’s global strategy. To that point, for the UN in particular, this episode demonstrates, again, how geopolitical tensions (Ukraine, Cuba) seep into the symbolic and procedural votes that de-escalate political relationships or improve ordinary diplomacy with other countries—these UN votes become fronts in wider ideological and strategic conflicts. click here for the source
