President Donald Trump says he has no issue with a Russian oil tanker delivering fuel to Cuba, and the administration signaled it had no plans to stop it.
The vessel, owned by the Russian government and sanctioned by the U.S., the European Union and the United Kingdom, carries more than 700,000 barrels of oil and could bring some much-needed relief to the island.
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“We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload because they need… they have to survive,” Trump told reporters over the weekend.
The tanker arrived at the port of Matanzas on Monday.
What officials are saying
When asked about allowing the oil into Cuba, Trump made clear he had no plans stop it. He also said he doesn’t see how allowing the move would help Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It doesn’t help him, why? He loses one boatload of oil. That’s all it is, it’s fine,” Trump said. “If he wants to do that and if other countries want to do it, it doesn’t bother me much. It’s not going to have an impact. 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.”
Meanwhile, a Kremlin spokesperson said Russia previously discussing the oil shipment with the U.S.
“Russia сonsiders it its duty not to stand aside, but to provide the necessary assistance to our Cuban friends,” the spokesperson told CBS News.
Blockade leads to blackouts, energy crisis
The oil delivery comes after the U.S. oil blockade pushed Cuba into a severe energy crisis.
Blackouts have spread across the island, and shortages of fuel and basic resources have strained hospitals and disrupted transportation.
Experts say this shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to cover Cuba’s daily demand for about nine to 10 days.
