In a surprising shift, US President Donald Trump has softened his stance on Cuba and stated that he will not block Russian oil shipments to the island nation.
The comment came as a Russian oil tanker, the Anatoly Kolodkin, arrived in Cuba carrying a major “humanitarian shipment” of around 100,000 tons (roughly 730,000 barrels) of crude oil.Speaking aboard Air Force One while returning from Mar-a-Lago, Trump said:if a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem with that — whether it’s Russia or not.”
This marks a noticeable U-turn from his administration’s earlier tough position, which included threats of a blockade and heavy sanctions on any country helping Cuba.Cuba has been going through a severe energy crisis.
The country hadn’t received any oil imports for nearly three months, leading to strict fuel rationing, frequent blackouts, and serious power shortages. President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the Russian shipment as much-needed relief for the island.
The move also shows Russia’s willingness to support its long-time ally Cuba, despite heavy Western sanctions. The tanker left Russia on March 8 and arrived over the weekend.This development comes after the US removed Venezuela’s Maduro from power — Cuba’s main previous oil supplier — leaving the Caribbean nation in a desperate situation.
Trump had previously predicted that Cuba’s communist government would soon collapse.For now, it appears Trump is choosing not to escalate the situation further by stopping this particular Russian delivery.