PRESS RELEASE
A letter is sent ahead of Pedro Sánchez’s meeting with Vladimir Zelensky.
Some thirty Cuban organizations demand consistency from the President of the Government of Spain regarding Ukraine.
Contacts: John Suárez (612) 367-6845 / Janisset Rivero (786) 208-6056 / Matias Jove prensa@cubaentransicion.com
- Cubans represent the largest contingent of foreigners serving in the Russian army.
- Despite repeated requests from the European Parliament and the Joint Committee for the European Union, Pedro Sánchez refuses to condition aid to Cuba on the cessation of his support for Ukraine.
Center for a Free Cuba, and Cuba in Transition. Madrid, November 17, 2025 – A group of Cuban organizations and leaders have addressed a letter to the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, hours before his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, next Tuesday in Madrid.
The Cuban leaders seek to highlight the inconsistency of Spanish policy toward Ukraine, which, on the one hand, offers support to Kyiv, while on the other, backs what has become a preferred ally of Putin. Among the signatories are Manuel Iglesias, president of the Center for a Free Cuba; Guillermo Marmol, president of the Board of the Center for a Free Cuba; Carlos Eire, professor at Yale University; Orlando Gutiérrez, secretary of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC) – a coalition of more than 30 organizations and individuals opposed to the Cuban government – and Sylvia G. Iriondo, president of M.A.R. for Cuba.
The letter highlights that, while the Spanish government has demonstrated a firm commitment to defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity since February 2022, offering military aid, financial contributions, and hosting thousands of refugees, it has simultaneously maintained and strengthened its support for the Cuban dictatorship. Since the beginning of the invasion, the letter states, “the Havana regime has become one of Vladimir Putin’s preferred allies.”
The letter emphasizes that the Cuban regime has operated as a “major supporter of Russia in various fields, including diplomatic, propaganda, intelligence, and military.” Among the evidence presented, it underscores that:
Cuban citizens represent the largest foreign contingent serving in the Russian army.
Reports from August indicate that at least 7,000 Cubans are currently fighting in Ukraine under the Russian flag. As Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Andrii Melnyk, has pointed out, this mass recruitment is not the product of isolated individual actions, but rather a “systematic practice involving illegal networks that operate openly with the knowledge of the Havana regime.”
It is estimated that between 200 and 300 Cuban fighters have died on the Ukrainian front.
Despite this clear evidence and repeated requests from the European Parliament and the Joint Committee for the European Union, the Spanish government has not only defended maintaining the aid to Cuba stipulated in the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, but also, in July of last year, approved a special program for the conversion of €375 million of Cuban debt.
In this regard, the criticism focuses on the fundamental contradiction of Spanish policy: Spain claims to support Ukraine, on the one hand, but on the other, it is financing Russia’s main ally.
For all these reasons, Cuban organizations urged President Sánchez, in preparation for his meeting with President Zelensky, to “approve a measure to condition any aid to the Cuban regime on it ceasing its support for Putin’s war.”
November 17, 2025
Dear Mr. President,
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022, the Government of Spain has demonstrated a firm commitment to defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. This support has materialized through the delivery of military aid, significant financial contributions aimed at assisting the affected population and supporting the country’s reconstruction, as well as hosting thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
However, alongside this support, the Government of Spain has maintained and strengthened its backing for what, since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, has become one of Vladimir Putin’s preferred allies: the Cuban dictatorship.
It is well known that the Cuban regime has operated as a major supporter of Russia in diplomatic, propaganda, intelligence, and military spheres.
Cuban citizens represent the largest foreign contingent serving in the Russian army. Reports published in August indicate that at least 7,000 Cubans have joined their ranks. Ukrainian data estimates between 200 and 300 casualties among these fighters.
It is impossible for an operation of this magnitude to be carried out without the knowledge and consent of the Cuban regime. As Andrii Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, pointed out, “This mass recruitment is not the product of isolated individuals acting on their own. It is a systematic practice involving illegal networks that operate openly with the knowledge of the Havana regime.”
Despite this evidence and repeated requests from the European Parliament and the Joint Committee for the European Union, the Spanish government has not only defended maintaining the aid to Cuba stipulated in the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, but also, in July of last year, approved a special program for the conversion of 375 million euros of Cuban debt.
In short, Spain claims to support Ukraine on the one hand, but on the other, it is funding Russia’s main ally.
Therefore, we urge you to reach an agreement, in preparation for tomorrow’s meeting with President Zelensky, to condition any aid to the Cuban regime on its ceasing support for Putin’s war.
Sincerely,
Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, Secretary General, Assembly of the Cuban Resistance
Sylvia G. Iriondo, President of M.A.R. for Cuba (Mothers Against Repression)
Guillermo Marmol, Chairman of the Board, Center for a Free Cuba
Everett E. Briggs, former Ambassador to Portugal, Honduras, and Panama
Manuel E. Iglesias, President of the Center for a Free Cuba
Ambassador Otto J. Reich, former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela
Carlos Eire, Professor of History and Religion, Yale University
Nestor Carbonell, lawyer and writer
Dr. Eduardo Zayas-Bazán, Professor Emeritus, East Tennessee State University
Erich de la Fuente, Adjunct Professor, Florida International University
Graciella Cruz-Taura, Professor, Florida Atlantic University
Ileana Fuentes, author, translator, feminist.
Janisset Rivero, human rights activist
Frank Calzon, political scientist, writer, and human rights activist
Victor J. Pujals, P.E., professional engineer and civic leader
John Suarez, executive director, Center for a Free Cuba
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