Trump Permits Russian Oil Shipments Amid Cuba Energy Crisis

The Donald Trump administration granted a limited humanitarian exception to allow the sanctioned Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin to deliver approximately 730,000 barrels of crude oil to the port of Matanzas on March 31, 2026. This marked the first significant fuel delivery to the island in three months, following a de facto U.S. oil blockade and the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which halted critical regional oil supplies.

The blockade triggered the largest energy crisis in Cuba's modern history, causing island-wide blackouts, crippling hospitals, and disrupting public transport. While the U.S. maintained its pressure campaign for regime change, Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized limited fuel exports specifically for Cuba's private sector to bypass the government. Trump later stated he had "no problem" with Russian shipments to ensure the Cuban people's survival, though he characterized the Cuban leadership as a "bad regime."

Russia, supported by China, pledged continued assistance to Havana. Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev announced a second shipment shortly after the first, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's commitment to support Cuba against U.S. "coercive diplomacy." Meanwhile, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed that early-stage negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba are ongoing, directed by former leader Raúl Castro. Despite the Russian aid, analysts noted the fuel provided only temporary relief, covering roughly 10 to 30 days of energy demand.