U.S. Allows Russian Oil Tanker Into Cuba

The move offers brief relief for Cuba’s fuel crunch with Washington’s rationale and any policy shift still unconfirmed.

Overview

Cuba’s Communist Party newspaper Granma reported a Russian tanker carrying roughly 100,000 tons of crude entered Cuban waters after the United States allowed the delivery.
The New York Times, cited by Kyodo, earlier reported that Washington would permit the ship to dock, and officials have not publicly explained the decision.
The shipment is estimated at about 730,000 barrels, which reports say could cover only a few more weeks before reserves run low.
Cuba has faced a severe fuel shortfall that outlets attribute to oil and other embargo measures tightened under President Trump.
U.S. media also report the Trump administration has urged President Miguel Díaz-Canel to step down, and observers are watching whether more tankers are cleared or if this remains a one-off exception.