11 May Brussels’ double standards: Missiles for Ukraine, euros for the Cuban regime
By,
Jesús Daniel Romero, Co-Founder and Senior Fellow, MSI² & Dr. Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, SME
Over the past three years, the European Union (EU) has been Ukraine’s main international ally in the face of Russian aggression. It has allocated more than €85 billion in military, humanitarian, and economic aid to Kyiv (Vanguardia, 2023), harshly sanctioning the Kremlin and reinforcing its narrative to defend democracy.
However, that same European Union maintains a formal cooperation agreement with the Cuban regime (EUR-Lex, 2016), one of the longest-standing and most repressive in the Western Hemisphere, and Moscow’s leading political and military ally in that hemisphere (Granma newspaper of Cuba).
This contradiction exposes a political and moral double standard that weakens the European bloc’s credibility in human rights and foreign policy matters, particularly in Latin America.
Cuba: Cooperation Without Democracy
Since 2016, when the EU signed the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with Raúl Castro, relations with the Cuban regime have been normalized. The signing of the agreement marked the end of the European “common position,” which had conditioned any rapprochement on verifiable improvements in human rights.
Under the new framework, the EU transfers more than €150 million annually in cooperation for development, tourism, agriculture, and climate change (Fundación Carolina, 2022). These funds are channeled through the Cuban parastatal apparatus, without transparent oversight or the participation of independent civil society (Diario de Cuba, 2025).
Meanwhile, the regime continues to imprison artists, journalists, activists, peaceful dissidents, and young people who have continued to demonstrate since the historic uprising of July 11, 2021. There are no free elections, a pluralistic press, or freedom of association.
And yet, Brussels defends its “constructive engagement” policy with Havana (Semanario Universidad, 2025).
Ukraine: Firmness, Defense, and Principles
Since Russia launched its invasion in 2022, the EU has led an international coalition to support Kyiv. Not only with sanctions and weapons, but with diplomatic support in every international forum and a straightforward narrative: Ukraine is a sovereign democracy fighting for its freedom from an authoritarian regime.
European leaders have visited Ukraine on multiple occasions. They have included the country in accession plans, frozen Russian assets, and made Ukraine’s defense a cornerstone of their foreign policy (Swissinfo, 2025).
However, the European Union seems unconcerned that the same Cuban regime that receives millions of euros in economic aid from it sends thousands of soldiers to support Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine (Radio Free Europe).
Furthermore, the Cuban regime maintains strong military ties with Belarus, another Russian ally in its war against Ukraine. (Minsk, 2024, Cuba-Belarus military agreement).
A View from Washington: Trump, Rubio, and the Hard Line
During President Donald J. Trump’s administration (2017–2021), the policy toward Cuba was forceful: the thaw initiated by the Obama administration was reversed, financial restrictions were reinstated, Cuba was reinstated on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and the military conglomerates that dominate the island’s economy were sanctioned (U.S. Department of State, 2021).
This policy was consistent with a vision of maximum hemispheric pressure extending to Venezuela and Nicaragua. For the Trump administration, the defense of democracy was not only an Eurasian issue but a continental priority.
This vision has been echoed by current Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has led a foreign policy on defending hemispheric freedoms. Under his leadership, the United States has pushed for suspending the EU-Cuba agreement, strengthened alliances with democratic Latin American governments, and denounced Brussels’ double standards in multilateral forums (El País, 2025).
Europe’s soft axis: the countries supporting Havana
A phenomenon within the EU itself compounds this contradiction: several governments have been tougher on Trump’s foreign policy than on the Cuban dictatorship.
- Spain (PSOE governments) has defended its trade ties with Cuba, even while its hotel companies benefit from the economic model controlled by GAESA.
- Ireland and Belgium have voted against or abstained from European Parliament resolutions condemning Cuban repression.
- Italy, Greece, and Portugal have avoided directly confronting the Cuban regime, appealing to the language of non-interference and technical dialogue.
All of these countries criticized the sanctions imposed by Trump, while protecting their investments in Cuba or promoting a romanticized vision of the revolution. The result: the same Europe that sanctions Russia for invading a democracy is funding a dictatorship stagnating 150 kilometers from Florida.a.
The Urgency of Correcting Course
The European Parliament has passed multiple resolutions condemning the repression in Cuba, but the European External Action Service (EEAS) continues to defend the TPDA. The contradiction between institutions and between principles and practice is increasingly evident.
If Europe wishes to be seen as a genuine defender of human rights and democracy, it must apply the same moral firmness it demonstrates in Ukraine to its policy toward Cuba.
A Necessary Response: American Firmness in the Face of European Hypocrisy
President Trump’s new administration—now with proven leadership at the State Department—should remind Brussels that human rights are non-negotiable. If the European Union insists on funding dictatorships like Cuba’s while demanding democratic loyalty on other fronts, the United States must respond with proportional action.
It is time to consider targeted economic sanctions against the true havens of European doublespeak: those countries that profit from tourism in dictatorships, protect investments in repressive military companies, or block resolutions defending freedom. If Europe does not want to act coherently, let it at least assume the diplomatic and financial cost of its hypocrisy.
Because freedom cannot depend on the political climate in Brussels, and the world cannot tolerate principles being sold in exchange for hotel contracts in Havana.
References
Diario Granma de Cuba. Cuba and Russia strengthen military relations. https://en.granma.cu/mundo/2023-06-28/cuba-and-russia-strengthen-military-relations
Radio Europa Libre. Russia Turns To Cuban Recruits As It Struggles With Conscription, RFE/RL Reveals. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cuban-recruits-fighters-ukraine-mercenaries/33315782.html
Cibercuba, 2024. Cuban and Belarusian regimes sign military cooperation agreement. https://www.cibercuba.com/noticias/2024-01-31-u1-e207888-s27061-regimen-cubano-bielorruso-firman-acuerdo-cooperacion-militar
Diario de Cuba. (2025). Cuban civil society calls on the European Parliament to be part of any future dialogue between the EU and the regime. https://diariodecuba.com/derechos-humanos/1746825794_61042.html
Departamento de Estado de EE.UU. (2021). State Sponsors of Terrorism. https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/
El País. (2025). Marco Rubio establishes himself as Trump’s trusted foreign policy man. https://elpais.com/internacional/2025-05-04/marco-rubio-se-impone
EUR-Lex. (2016). EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ES/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A22016A1213(01)
Fundación Carolina. (2022). Relations between the European Union and Cuba. https://www.fundacioncarolina.es/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Especial_FC_EULAC_1_ES.pdf
Semanario Universidad. (2025). The EU supports the dialogue and cooperation agreement with Cuba. https://semanariouniversidad.com/mundo/ue-sostiene-el-acuerdo
Swissinfo. (2025). The EU will allocate 1.2 billion euros for border control in Türkiye this year. https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/la-ue-destinar%C3%A1
Vanguardia. (2023). The European Union gives 1.5 billion euros to Ukraine. https://vanguardia.com.mx/noticias/da-la-union-europea-mil-500-millones-de-euros-a-ucrania-NG10529895