Trump Approves Russian Oil Tanker’s Aid to Cuba Amid U.S. Blockade
In a surprising move, President Donald Trump has signaled his approval for a Russian oil tanker to deliver much-needed relief supplies to Cuba, a nation heavily impacted by a U.S. oil blockade. Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Trump expressed his lack of concern over the impending arrival of the tanker off the Cuban coast.
“We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload because they need… they have to survive,” Trump remarked to reporters during his flight back to Washington.
When asked about a report from the New York Times regarding the tanker’s journey to Cuba, Trump confirmed, “I told them, if a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not.”
Data from tracking services indicates that the tanker, carrying approximately 730,000 barrels of oil, was spotted near the eastern tip of the island on Sunday night. It is expected to reach the city of Matanzas by Tuesday. While Cuban state media journalists have commented on the expected arrival, there has been no official response from Cuban authorities.
The vessel, named Anatoly Kolodkin, is subject to sanctions by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Trump’s administration has taken a more aggressive stance against Cuba than previous U.S. governments, effectively cutting off key oil supplies to the island in a bid to pressure regime change. This blockade has severely affected Cuban civilians, with island-wide blackouts and a lack of basic resources, including gasoline, crippling hospitals and public transportation.
Experts suggest this anticipated shipment could provide about 180,000 barrels of diesel, potentially meeting Cuba’s daily demand for nine or ten days.
Cuba has long been a focal point in the geopolitical tension between the U.S. and Russia, a dynamic that dates back decades. Despite this, Trump downplayed the notion that allowing the tanker’s arrival would benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It doesn’t help him. He loses one boatload of oil, that’s all it is. If he wants to do that, and if other countries want to do it, it doesn’t bother me much,” Trump stated. “It’s not going to have an impact. Cuba’s finished. They have a bad regime. They have very bad and corrupt leadership and whether or not they get a boat of oil, it’s not going to matter.”
Trump further emphasized his humanitarian perspective: “I’d prefer letting it in, whether it’s Russia or anybody else because the people need heat and cooling and all of the other things.”
