News
Cuba · Oil · Russia · Sanctions
The U.S. government allowed the Russian-flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil, to reach Cuba, effectively easing a blockade that had pushed the island into an energy crisis, as President Donald Trump stated Cuba "has to survive." This policy shift provides significant relief to Cuba, where President Miguel Díaz-Canel reported months of fuel shortages and strict gas rationing.
Trump explicitly stated he has "no problem" with Russia or any country sending oil to Cuba, despite his administration's prior efforts to restrict oil shipments to pressure the Cuban government following the U.S. capture of then-Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, a key Cuban oil supplier. The U.S. also temporarily eased some sanctions on Russian oil shipments to stabilize global energy markets after U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran.
The Anatoly Kolodkin is expected to dock at Cuba's Matanzas port, while another Russian fuel ship, the Sea Horse, carrying about 200,000 barrels, was rerouted to Venezuela.
