A Russian oil tanker carrying fuel to Cuba has entered waters near the island, which will provide relief for the country's humanitarian crisis, Russian news agency Interfax reports. According to Interfax, the ship Anatoly Kolodkin is transporting a 'humanitarian shipment' of 100,000 tons of crude oil. This first oil shipment to Cuba since January comes hours after US President Donald Trump said he had no problem with countries like Russia sending supplies to the island. Trump's statements seemed to indicate a relaxation of the oil blockade his administration had imposed on Cuba since January. Cuba's situation has deteriorated rapidly since January 3, when US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, a staunch ally of the Cuban government, who had been supplying the island with oil on highly preferential terms. Cuba has been experiencing nationwide blackouts since the United States increased economic pressure on the island, effectively blocking incoming oil shipments. Trump also threatened to impose tariffs on any nation that sent oil to Cuba. Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev said on Wednesday that Cuba 'is in a difficult situation as a result of the pressure of sanctions.' 'That's why we are currently sending humanitarian aid to Cuba,' he added. Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the severe fuel shortage was causing Cuban hospitals to struggle to keep emergency and intensive care services active. A little more than a week ago, the US Department of the Treasury added Cuba to the list of countries prohibited from receiving oil supplies from Russia. But in an apparent shift in strategy, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he had 'no problem' with Russia supplying oil to Cuba. 'We have a tanker out there. Download the latest version and activate them. A new total blackout leaves Cuba without electricity. Mexican Navy locates two missing sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba. 'It's us against the world': Cuban mothers-to-be preparing to give birth in a country plunged into darkness. 'We don't care who carries a cargo because they need it... they have to survive,' he said. It was unclear from Trump's comment whether this represented a change in course in the fuel blockade policy or merely a temporary relaxation. The Russian oil tanker is expected to unload the oil at the Matanzas terminal in the coming hours, which will be a short-term lifeline for the island. 'Appropriating' Cuba The communist government of Cuba, led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, has been in talks with the Trump administration to find a way out of the crisis. But both sides have publicly set a number of political and economic red lines that make it difficult to see where they might find common ground. President Trump recently said he could 'appropriate' Cuba, while the island's leaders have declared they refuse to accept any forced changes in personnel or the political direction of their government. Cuba was already facing its worst economic and energy crisis since the end of the Cold War due to a combination of the collapse of tourism following the coronavirus pandemic and the government's poor economic management. This crisis has been further exacerbated by the fuel blockade.
