Individuals spend the night time at the hours of darkness on the Malecon throughout a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Ramon Espinosa/AP
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Ramon Espinosa/AP
ABOARD AIRFORCE ONE — President Donald Trump on Sunday night time stated he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba delivering aid to the island, which has been delivered to its knees by a U.S. oil blockade.
“We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload because they need… they have to survive,” Trump advised reporters as he flew again to Washington.
When requested if a New York Instances report that the tanker can be allowed to succeed in Cuba was true, Trump stated: “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.”
Monitoring knowledge reveals the oil tanker carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of oil, was simply off the jap tip of the island on Sunday night time and slated to reach within the metropolis of Matanzas by Tuesday. Journalists working for Cuban state media additionally reported the on the boat’s anticipated arrival, although Cuban officers didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The vessel, Anatoly Kolodkin, is sanctioned by the USA, the European Union and the UK following the struggle in Ukraine.
Trump, whose authorities has come at its Caribbean adversary extra aggressively than any U.S. authorities in latest historical past, has successfully reduce Cuba off from key oil shipments in an effort to pressure regime change. The blockade has had devastating results on the civilians Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio say they need to assist, leaving many determined.
Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of disaster, and lack of gasoline and fundamental sources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport.
Specialists say the anticipated cargo might produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel — sufficient to feed Cuba’s every day demand for 9 or 10 days.
Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of disaster, and lack of gasoline and fundamental sources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport.
Cuba has lengthy been on the coronary heart of geopolitical tug-of-war between the U.S. and Russia, relationship again many years. Trump on Sunday dismissed the concept permitting the boat to succeed in Cuba would assist 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.”
He added: “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.”
