HAVANA (AP) — Cuba prepared on Monday to receivea sanctioned Russian tankercarrying roughly 730,000 barrels of oil, marking the island's first such delivery this year.
Cuba Aid Boats
It comes a day afterU.S. President Donald Trumptold reporters he had "no problem" with aRussian oil tankerdelivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by a U.S. oil blockade.
The exact location of theRussian-flagged Anatoly Kolodkinremained a subject of conflicting reports Monday morning. While the Russian Transport Ministry and the state-run news portal Cubadebate stated the vessel had already arrived, ship-tracking data showed it was still navigating Cuban waters with an estimated docking time of Tuesday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday Russia had previously discussed its oil shipment to Cuba with the United States. "Russia сonsiders it its duty not to stand aside, but to provide the necessary assistance to our Cuban friends," he told reporters.
Its final destination is the port of Matanzas, a strategic hub for an island that produces barely 40% of its required fuel and relies on such imports to sustain its energy grid. Experts say the anticipated shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to feed Cuba's daily demand for nine or 10 days.
Trump, whose government has come at its Caribbean adversary more aggressively than any U.S. government in recent history, has effectively cut Cuba off from key oil shipments in an effort toforce regime change. The blockade has haddevastating effects on the civiliansTrump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio say they want to help, leaving many desperate.
Islandwide blackouts have roiledCubans already grappling with years of crisis, and a lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospitals and slashed public transport.
For years, Mexico sent oil to Cuba in a sign of solidarity as the island struggled with anenergy crisis, but it was effectively forced to halt these shipments under thethreat of U.S. tariffs. In their place, Mexico pivoted to sending humanitarian aid, including food and hygiene products.
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Asked during her Monday news briefing about Trump's comments on allowing the Russian vessel through,Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaumsaid that her country will continue sending aid and that "work was underway" with Cuban authorities to trade oil in the future.
Sheinbaum, who has walked a fine line with Trump to offset threats of tariffs and military action against cartels, provided few details.
She noted that private companies in Cuba, including hotels, "are looking for private entities willing to supply them with fuel," and that they have approached Mexico's state-owned oil company to purchase crude oil, adding that these requests are currently being reviewed.
Cuba has long been at the heart of a geopolitical tug-of-war between the U.S. and Russia, dating back decades. Trump on Sunday dismissed the idea that allowing the boat to reach Cuba would help 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 said on Sunday. "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."
The U.S., the European Union and the United Kingdom sanctioned multiple vessels, including the Anatoly Kolodkin, used to carry Russian oil followingthe war in Ukraine.
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