Trump Permits Russian Oil Tanker to Dock in Cuba Despite Ongoing U.S. Fuel Blockade

Donald Trump said Sunday he has "no problem" with a Russian oil tanker delivering crude oil to Cuba despite a U.S. fuel blockade, as the sanctioned vessel Anatoly Kolodkin — carrying of crude — approached the island's northern coast and was expected to dock at the port of Matanzas by Tuesday, March 31. Trump made the remarks aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The statement marked a notable departure from the administration's stated policy of cutting off Cuba's fuel supplies to pressure the government of President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Cuba has endured a deepening energy and economic crisis since January, when U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, severing the island's primary oil supply. The Anatoly Kolodkin, which is under sanctions by both the United States and the European Union, left the Russian port of Primorsk on March 8 and was escorted by a Russian navy ship across the English Channel before the two vessels parted ways as the tanker entered the Atlantic Ocean, according to the British Royal Navy.

Kremlin "rejoices" as tanker nears Matanzas port The Kremlin welcomed the development on Monday, with spokesperson Dmitri Peskov saying Russia "rejoices" at the delivery. „We rejoice that this cargo of petroleum products is arriving on the island, or rather, that it has already arrived” — Dmitri Peskov via BFMTV Jorge Piñón, an expert on the Cuban energy sector at the American University of Austin, Texas, said he was surprised that the United States had not attempted to intercept the tanker, noting that once the ship enters Cuban waters, "it will be almost impossible for the American government to stop it." According to Piñón, once the cargo arrives, it will take between 15 and 20 days to process the oil and another 5 to 10 days to distribute its refined products. The Russian cargo could be transformed into 250,000 barrels of diesel fuel — an amount sufficient to cover Cuba's demand for approximately 12.5 days. Tracking data from the specialized website MarineTraffic showed the vessel located about 30 kilometers off the east coast of Cuba on Sunday evening, near the municipality of Banes, and heading up the island's northern coast toward Matanzas, roughly 100 kilometers east of Havana. Cuban state broadcaster Canal Caribe reported Sunday that "Russia is, once again, fulfilling its commitment to provide material aid to Cuba."

Trump calls Cuba "finished" even as he allows the shipment Despite allowing the delivery, Trump offered no softening of his broader stance toward the Cuban government, repeating threats and predictions of imminent collapse. „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” — Donald Trump via AP Trump also dismissed the notion that permitting the Russian shipment would benefit President Vladimir Putin, saying Russia "loses one boatload of oil, that's all it is." He framed his decision as a humanitarian concession, stating that Cuban civilians need "heat and cooling and all of the other things." Trump also renewed threats, saying Cuba "is going to be next" and predicting the government would fail "within a short period of time." „Within a short period of time, it's going to fail, and we will be there to help it out” — Donald Trump via France 24 Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been a central figure in the administration's Cuba policy, which Trump described as more aggressive than any prior U.S. government's approach toward the island.

Cuba has relied on Venezuelan oil supplies for roughly 25 years, a relationship that became a cornerstone of the island's energy infrastructure. The U.S. oil blockade on Cuba intensified sharply after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, cutting off Caracas as Havana's primary fuel supplier. Cuba's last oil delivery before the Anatoly Kolodkin's arrival came from Mexico on January 9, after which Mexico halted fuel shipments under pressure from the White House. The island has suffered seven nationwide blackouts since the end of 2024, including two in March 2026 alone, sparking rare public protests. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel imposed emergency fuel rationing measures and warned that "any external aggressor will encounter an unbreakable resistance."

Island of 9.6 million faces blackouts, rationing, and suspended flights The humanitarian toll of the blockade on Cuba's population of 9.6 (million people) — Cuba's population enduring the energy crisis has been severe, with fuel shortages crippling hospitals, slashing public transport, and driving fuel prices sharply higher. Some airlines have suspended flights to Cuba, further straining the country's fragile economy. Díaz-Canel imposed strict gasoline rationing after Washington launched the blockade, and aging power plants have struggled to meet demand, producing the series of island-wide blackouts. A separate humanitarian aid convoy recently brought more than 50 tonnes of medicine, food, solar panels, and other goods to Cuba by air and sea. Two sailboats — the "Friend Ship" and the "Tiger Moth" — departed from Isla Mujeres in southeastern Mexico on March 20 carrying nine people and humanitarian supplies bound for Cuba; the Mexican Navy launched a search and rescue mission after losing communications with the vessels, though a flotilla spokesperson said on Saturday that the Mexican navy had located both sailboats and that the crews are safe. The Anatoly Kolodkin's arrival, while providing temporary relief, represents only a partial and short-term answer to an energy deficit that experts say will require sustained supply to address.

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