Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has been offering Cubans Russian passports in exchange for joining the Russian Army in Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, Putin has been offering them $2,000 a month to join the Russian Army, VisaGuide.World reports.
A report from BBC shows that documents leaked online indicate that Cuban men are offered monthly payments in the region of $2,000 per month, which is a significant amount of money for Cuba, where the average monthly salary remains under $25.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, authorities in Moscow have facilitated the process of acquiring citizenship in Russia for internationals after military service. Reports reveal that some Cubans have obtained Russian passports just months after enlistment.
According to the VisaGuide.World Passport Index, which ranks passports of 199 countries based on the strength of their passports, taking into account various factors, Russia’s passport has a score of 48.69 and it is ranked in the 94th position in this index.
Holders of a Russian passport are eligible to travel visa-free to 84 countries, while visas are required for a total of 82 countries.
Simultaneously, the Cuban passport is ranked in the 131st position in the VisaGuide.World Passport Index, with a passport score of 24.10. Those obtaining passports issued by Cuba are eligible to travel visa-free to 31 countries, while visas are required when planning to travel to 136 countries.
Citizens of Cuba planning to travel to Russia are not required to apply for visas at first and vice versa.
Travel facilitation between Cuba and Russia dates back to the Cold War, permitting Cubans visa-free entry and direct flights to Russia.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been followed by sanctions imposed by the EU, which are considered among the harshest in recent years.
EU restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine apply to a total of over 2100 individuals and entities.
Through a statement, the Council of the European revealed that 1,706 Russians and 419 entities have been sanctioned, with restrictive measures including travel bans and asset freezes.
The travel ban prevents the individuals listed from entering or transiting through EU territories, while the asset freeze is used against the funds or economic resources of the listed persons and entities.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry previously revealed that it issued a total of 158,972 visas to EU citizens last year, accounting for a slight increase.
