A Russian oil tanker docked at a Cuban port on Tuesday after President Donald Trump approved its entry into the island, a move that comes as Cuba grapples with a worsening energy crisis and prolonged nationwide blackouts.
The Russian vessel Anatoly Kolodkin docked at the Cuban port of Matanzas with 730,000 barrels of oil after the United States authorized the tanker’s arrival, easing restrictions that had previously complicated fuel deliveries to Cuba.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that he is accepting of Cuba receiving oil because his administration doesn’t mind “having somebody get a boatload because they need — they have to survive,” adding that “I have no problem, whether it’s Russia or not.”
Trump also scaled back his negative rhetoric toward Cuba, hinting at his concern for the humanitarian crisis there and saying he’d “prefer letting [fuel] in, whether it’s Russia or anybody else, because the people need heat and cooling and all of the other things that you need.”
Russian oil has faced crippling oil sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, but those sanctions have since been eased due to the energy crisis brought about by the Iran war.
Cuba has been hit by severe fuel shortages in recent months, driven by declining shipments from Venezuela, which has historically been Cuba’s primary oil supplier, and limited access to global markets under U.S. sanctions. The shortages have forced the government to implement rolling blackouts lasting several hours a day, disrupting businesses, transportation, and daily life.
The country’s aging power infrastructure has further compounded the crisis, with frequent breakdowns at power plants that have left large portions of the island without electricity. Cuban authorities have repeatedly warned that without additional fuel imports, the situation could deteriorate further, particularly as demand rises heading into the summer.
Due to the crisis, the Trump administration has previously signaled a willingness to make exceptions in cases involving humanitarian concerns, even as broader restrictions on Cuba remain in place.
Last week, humanitarian aid boats arrived in Cuba carrying food, medical supplies, solar panels, and other aid. The shipment was part of an initiative that had brought together 33 countries and 120 organizations to deliver aid.
The move is likely to draw criticism from some lawmakers who argue that easing restrictions undermines efforts to pressure the Cuban government on political and human rights issues.
TRUMP GREENLIGHTS OIL SHIPMENTS TO CUBA AS RUSSIAN TANKER ON ITS WAY
Trump has teased the possibility of taking over Cuba or at least forcing a regime change. He previously said that he believed he would have “the honor” of “taking Cuba in some form,” language that alarmed officials in Havana and intensified speculation about his intentions in the communist-run island.
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío responded to Trump’s remarks by saying the island “is always prepared, and in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression.”