U.S. Sanctions and Cuba

The Trump administration allowed the sanctioned Russian‑flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin — carrying about 730,000 barrels of Urals crude (experts estimate it could yield roughly 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough for about nine to ten days of Cuban demand) — to dock at Matanzas as a one‑time humanitarian relief amid island‑wide blackouts and fuel shortages. President Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, said he had “no problem” with the shipment so Cubans “have to survive,” while U.S. officials framed the move as a limited exception to a broader oil blockade aimed at pressuring Havana, prompting concerns it could weaken sanctions enforcement; the Kremlin said the delivery had been discussed with the U.S. and described it as a duty to aid Cuba.