Trump says he does not oppose Russian oil tankers delivering oil to Cuba

U.S. President Trump said Sunday that he has “no objections” to a Russian oil tanker docked near the coast of Cuba delivering aid to the island. Cuba is currently in severe trouble because the United States has implemented an oil embargo.

On his way back to Washington while flying, Trump told reporters, “There’s a tanker out there. Someone has delivered a cargo. We don’t mind, because they need it… They have to survive.”

When asked whether reports that the tanker would be allowed to reach Cuba are accurate, Trump said, “I told them that if some country wants to send Cuba some oil right now, I have no problem with it—whether it’s Russia or not.”

On Monday, Russia’s Ministry of Transport said the Anatoly Kolodkin tanker had arrived at the port of Matanzas in Cuba, carrying about 730,000 barrels of oil as “humanitarian supplies.”

The tanker has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom due to sanctions related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said Russia had previously communicated with the United States regarding the shipment of oil to Cuba.

He said, “Russia believes it has a responsibility not to stand by, but to provide the necessary assistance to our Cuban friends.”

Experts said the batch of oil is expected to be refined into about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to meet Cuba’s daily needs for 9 to 10 days.

 Open a futures account with Sina’s major partner platform—safe, fast, and secure

Endless information, precise analysis—available on the Sina Finance App

Responsible editor: Chen Yujia