Ivan Melnikov held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba Bruno Rodrguez Parrilla
State Duma of Russia1 day
Putin Calls New US Restrictions on Cuba Unacceptable
Is Cuba's communist system to blame for suffering on the island or is the U.S. manufacturing a humanitarian crisis through new restrictions?
Above: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin to meet with the Cuban Foreign Minister on Feb. 18, 2026. Image credit: Pavel Bednyakov/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Cuba's communist system has utterly failed its people, leaving them starving in garbage-filled streets with collapsing hospitals while the regime demands more sacrifice. The dictatorship faces overwhelming opposition as Cubans openly criticize the government and its unworkable ideology while dreaming of freedom and democracy. Trump has offered an off-ramp for the regime — it's time for Cuba to be free once and for all.
Establishment-critical narrative
The U.S. is deliberately manufacturing a humanitarian catastrophe in Cuba with its new restrictions, weaponizing aid to push regime change while suffocating a government that has successfully evacuated hundreds of thousands during hurricanes and sends doctors worldwide. This genocidal strategy mirrors Gaza, where the empire creates crises and then blames the victims to justify colonial intervention. Unlike the U.S., Cuba is a peaceful country that has never attacked anyone.
Metaculus Prediction
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0