The United States is set to permit a Russian oil tanker, laden with crude, to dock in Cuba, thereby temporarily lifting a blockade that has exacerbated the island’s energy woes, according to a recent report.
The vessel, known as the Anatoly Kolodkin and flying under the Russian flag, is en route to Cuba with approximately 730,000 barrels of oil. This information was shared by The New York Times, referencing insights from a U.S. official familiar with the situation.
As of Sunday, tracking data indicated that the Anatoly Kolodkin was positioned near Cuba’s eastern coast.
When questioned about the vessel’s journey, President Donald Trump remarked, “We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload, because they need … they have to survive.”
President Trump explained his stance further, stating, “If a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not.” (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
“If a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not,” he added.
Trump had sought to restrict oil shipments to Cuba in an effort to pressure its government.
The U.S. government has temporarily eased some sanctions on Russian oil shipments to help stabilize global energy markets amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran that began last month.
President Donald Trump had sought to restrict oil shipments to Cuba in an effort to pressure its government. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)
The Anatoly Kolodkin, which departed from Primorsk, Russia, could soon dock at the Matanzas port in Cuba if it remains on its current path, according to tracking services MarineTraffic and LSEG.
The oil would provide significant relief to Cuba, where President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said fuel shortages have persisted for months, forcing strict gas rationing and deepening the island’s energy crisis.
The U.S. capture of then-Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January stripped a key Cuban ally who had been providing oil to the island on favorable terms.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said fuel shortages have persisted for months. (PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP via Getty Images)
The Trump administration then blocked all Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and vowed to impose punitive tariffs on any third country that supplied shipments to the island, forcing Mexico to stop its exports to Cuba.
Another ship, the Hong Kong-flagged Sea Horse, was also carrying about 200,000 barrels of Russian fuel to Cuba, but was rerouted to Venezuela.
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