- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is ready to increase energy supplies to China ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit, noting that after Europe phased out most Russian imports, China and India now take around 80% of all Russian crude exports. Lavrov emphasised that Russia and China have the capacity to avoid dependence on US efforts to disrupt global markets.
- On the same day, Lavrov pledged continued oil shipments to Cuba. Russia sent a tanker carrying 700,000 barrels of crude in late March and said it will keep providing humanitarian aid to its long‑time ally.
- These moves highlight a strategic realignment of energy flows as Russia deepens ties with non‑Western partners following Western sanctions. Lavrov said Russia can fill resource shortfalls for China and other countries on an “equal and mutually beneficial basis”.
Russia signalled a major shift in its energy diplomacy this week, offering increased supplies to China and reaffirming oil shipments to Cuba in a bid to expand its influence outside the West.
Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was prepared to raise deliveries to China, just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping met him and underscored the “friendship” between the two countries.
Lavrov told reporters that after Europe moved to phase out Russian oil and gas following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has redirected exports; China and India now absorb 80% of its crude shipments.
Lavrov said the shift underscores Moscow and Beijing’s ability to avoid relying on what he characterised as US attempts to disrupt global energy markets through the conflict in the Middle East.
“Russia can, of course, make up for the resource shortfall facing both China and other countries that are interested in working with us on an equal and mutually beneficial basis,” he said.
He added that Russia has reserve capacity to support Chinese demand and that the two countries will deepen cooperation to “defend each other’s interests”. The statement comes ahead of President Putin’s expected visit to China in May, which is likely to cement long‑term contracts and joint infrastructure projects.
Assistance to Cuba
Simultaneously, Lavrov announced that Russia would keep supplying oil to Cuba, emphasising humanitarian motives. Moscow sent a tanker carrying around 700,000 barrels of crude to the Caribbean island in late March, providing temporary relief amid acute shortages.
Washington halted Venezuelan oil exports to Cuba after detaining President Nicolás Maduro, causing severe fuel shortages and blackouts on the island. The US cleared the Russian shipment for humanitarian reasons but said future deliveries will be reviewed individually. Lavrov said he expected China to participate in aiding Cuba, signalling a possible three‑way cooperation.
These twin announcements highlight Russia’s strategy to deepen energy ties with non‑Western partners and shore up markets in Asia and Latin America. The pivot reduces Moscow’s exposure to Western sanctions and gives countries like China leverage in contract negotiations.
For UK energy traders and policymakers, the realignment may tighten supplies of Russian crude to Europe and increase competition for Atlantic basin cargoes. It also underscores the intersection of energy and geopolitics: by courting China and aiding Cuba, Russia is consolidating influence and seeking to project itself as a reliable supplier for allies, even as Western governments attempt to curtail its revenues.
