Lammy urged to drop ‘ludicrous’ financial aid to Cuba over concerns troops are fighting for Russia in Ukraine

A senior US congressman has asked the newLabour government to rethink financial aid to Cuba due to concerns that the regime is supplying troops to Vladimir Putin to fight in Ukraine.

Republican congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, who represents the 26th district in Florida and is the son of Cuban exiles, told The Independent he has seen security documents showing “a substantial number” of Cubans have been sent to fight for Russia.

He wants the foreign secretary, David Lammy, to help change Britain’s policy and persuade EU allies to do the same.

Previous reports suggested 200 Cubans had been sent to fight in the Russian army but this figure is understood to have increased.

Rep Diaz-Balart, whose aunt was Fidel Castro’s first wife, has appealed to Mr Lammy to rethink Britain’s involvement in the Paris Club, which has forgiven billions in debt to the communist regime now headed by Miguel Díaz-Canel.

The UK also gave more than £25m in development aid to Cuba between 2010 and 2022.

The UK and EU do not support US sanctions on the regime and have passed legislation to protect companies from those sanctions.

But Rep Diaz-Balart told The Independent that Cuba’s involvement in the war “should be a game-changer”, given that the UK, US and Nato allies are spending billions in military support to protect Ukraine.

He said: “It is ludicrous. It is the concept of on one hand spending taxpayers’ money to try to defeat Putin in Ukraine, which I support. Then with the other hand, spending taxpayers’ money on a country which is helping Putin fight that war. When you forgive the debt or send aid it’s basically taxpayers’ money.”

Rep Diaz-Balart went on: “You [the UK and EU] are giving money to the strongest ally of Putin, including one that has