Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry announced plans to open four new embassies in Latin America by the end of 2025, targeting Panama, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Uruguay. The expansion will also include over ten new consular offices across Europe. This diplomatic push will be partially funded by a reduction in Ukraine’s operations in Cuba.
While Ukraine has not confirmed the complete closure of its embassy in Havana, officials stated that diplomatic activities in Cuba will be scaled down. The decision follows financial difficulties Ukrainian diplomats reportedly faced in Havana, where frozen bank accounts have left embassy staff struggling to afford essential living expenses.
The new embassies are part of a broader strategy to build stronger ties in Latin America, especially in nations governed by conservative or anti-communist leaders. The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, and Uruguay have all experienced conservative leadership in recent years, with three still under center-right or conservative governance.
In Uruguay, relations with Ukraine deepened during the term of former President Luis Lacalle Pou. Ukraine’s diplomatic overtures continued under current President Yamandú Orsi, despite his left-leaning administration.
In Panama, President José Raúl Mulino has expressed support for Ukraine, including at international forums. In Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa has pursued closer foreign ties with conservative world leaders and offered his country as a venue for peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The Dominican Republic under President Luis Abinader has backed Ukraine, advocating for expanded agricultural trade and an end to the war.
Ukraine’s move to reduce its footprint in Cuba coincides with Havana’s growing alliance with Moscow. Cuban nationals have reportedly been recruited to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine. In one case, a Cuban man captured in Ukraine claimed he was misled into joining the conflict under the pretense of a construction job. Ukrainian lawmakers have since alleged that thousands of Cubans may have been sent to the front lines.
The Ukrainian embassy in Havana now operates in a limited capacity, serving mainly as a symbolic post. Ukrainian officials have voiced concerns that Cuba’s state-controlled banks are freezing embassy funds, impacting multiple countries and making it difficult for diplomatic staff to access food and basic necessities.
