Could China and Russia Rescue Cuba’s Regime?
Washington has made restrictions on hydrocarbons its principal instrument of pressure on Cuba, causing repeated nationwide power cuts; after Nicolás Maduro's overthrow and capture in January, the US moved to disrupt Venezuelan oil shipments and pressured Mexico, while a January 29 executive order set additional tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba. China delivered 10,000 solar power systems for rural households, healthcare facilities and public institutions in August and September, alongside solar parks including 15 facilities with 85 MW combined capacity. Russia's support has been more limited: the tanker Anatoly Kolodkin delivered about 100,000 metric tons of crude to Matanzas in late March, while the tanker Universal changed course in late May without completing its diesel delivery.
Why it matters: The case shows how sanctions and energy security function as geoeconomic instruments, with Chinese renewable projects and Russian oil shipments affecting the Cuban regime's viability.