A Russian oil tanker carrying 100,000 metric tons of crude oil has arrived in Cuba, Russia confirmed on Monday. Moscow said it would continue supplying oil to its ally despite sanctions imposed by the United States.
The development comes after a disruption in oil supplies from Venezuela. On January 3, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was reportedly removed from power and detained by the United States, after which oil shipments from Venezuela to Cuba were halted, leading to a severe energy crisis on the island.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had warned that any country supplying oil to Cuba could face punitive tariffs. However, on Sunday, Trump signaled a shift in position and expressed sympathy for the Cuban people facing fuel shortages.
According to Russia’s Transport Ministry, a tanker named Anatoly Kolodkin is currently stationed at Matanzas port in Cuba, awaiting unloading. Ship-tracking data from LSEG shows the vessel departed from the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk on March 8.
The Kremlin said it had discussed the issue of oil shipments to Cuba with the United States, but emphasized that supporting allies like Cuba remains a responsibility for Russia.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the matter had been raised during prior communications with U.S. officials.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said that no oil tankers had reached the country for the past three months.
The fuel shortage has led to widespread power outages across the nation of around 10 million people. Health officials warn that the crisis is increasing risks for vulnerable groups, including cancer patients, particularly children.
Since the 1959 communist revolution, Cuba has heavily relied on oil imports, especially from the former Soviet Union. The country now faces urgent demand for imported crude oil and diesel to sustain electricity production.
When asked whether more shipments from Russia would follow, Peskov said Russia could not remain indifferent to the severe situation facing the Cuban people and would continue its efforts to assist.
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