Weeks after the US cut off Cuba's energy supplies, the Kremlin welcomed the delivery of a Russian-flagged oil tanker to Havana on Monday (local time), CNBC reported.
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said the topic of delivering Russian crude products was raised in advance during contacts with the United States, RIA Novosti reported. He said that Moscow considered it its duty to help Cuba, adding that Havana needed petroleum products amid a de facto US oil blockade.
The development comes a day after US President Donald Trump said that Washington will permit a Russian-flagged tanker, as the island is grappling with an energy crisis, a move that would break his administration's blockade.
Russian-flagged tanker reaches Cuba According to CNBC, a Russian oil tanker carrying a humanitarian shipment of over 100,000 tonnes of crude oil reportedly reached Cuba earlier today. However, the sanctioned vessel, Anatoly Kolodkin, was reportedly waiting to unload shortly after Trump said he had “no problem” with a Russian crude tanker delivering fuel to Cuba.
Russian tanker a breather for Cuba? The shipment of 100,000 tonnes of crude oil is being seen as a lifeline for the Caribbean nation, which is facing one of its biggest tests since the collapse of the Soviet Union amid the deepening energy crisis.
Cuba was heavily dependent on Venezuela for its oil supplies, which were effectively cut off earlier this year after the US launched an extraordinary military operation to capture its President Nicolas Maduro, who has been in the US since then.
Also Read | Trump removed Maduro but left Venezuela’s resource curse
Trump's remarks on the Russian tanker arriving in Cuba Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump, on 29 March, said, “If a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem with that, whether it’s Russia or not.”
Trump now seems to be softening his stance on Cuba, months after he threatened to impose tariffs on any country that would help Cuba by sending crude, compelling the likes of Mexico to halt all its shipments to the island nation. The Kremlin previously dismissed Trump's tariff threats, highlighting that Washington and Moscow don't have much trade now.
However, he added, "Cuba is finished, they have a bad regime, and they have very bad and corrupt leadership, and whether or not they get a boat of oil, it’s not going to matter." Speaking to reporters, he added, “I prefer letting it in, whether it’s Russia or anybody else, because the people need heat and cooling and all of the other things that you need.”
Energy crisis deepens in Cuba Last week, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the Caribbean nation has not received any oil shipment in the past three months.
As fuel shortages persist, the country is seeking to sharply increase its solar power generation while continuing talks with the US.
Also Read | Trouble continues for Cuba as it faces second blackout in a week
The island nation with a population of over 10 million has faced a series of power blackouts in the past few weeks, with the United Nations (UN) warning that the country's hospitals have been struggling to maintain emergency and intensive care services.