Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday night that he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker delivering fuel to Cuba, a notable concession as the island nation remains paralysed by a US-led energy blockade.

Speaking to reporters during his return flight to the capital, the president indicated that humanitarian concerns for the Cuban populace outweighed the strict enforcement of the embargo in this instance.

“We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload because they need… they have to survive,” Trump said.

A Humanitarian Arrival

On Monday, the Russian Transport Ministry confirmed that the tanker Anatoly Kolodkin had docked at the port of Matanzas. The vessel delivered approximately 730,000 barrels of oil, which Moscow characterised as “humanitarian supplies.”

The arrival is significant because the Anatoly Kolodkin is currently under sanction by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. When asked to verify reports that the ship would be permitted to bypass the blockade, Trump remained indifferent to the vessel's origin.

“I told them, if a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not,” the president stated.

Crisis on the Island

The Trump administration, bolstered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has pursued a policy of aggressive economic isolation against Havana in a bid to trigger regime change. However, the resulting fuel shortages have had catastrophic consequences for the civilian population.

Widespread blackouts have left the island in darkness for years, while a lack of gasoline has crippled public transportation and left hospitals struggling to maintain basic services. Energy experts estimate the Russian shipment could yield 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to sustain Cuba’s national demand for roughly nine to 10 days.

Geopolitical Implications

The move comes amid a long-standing geopolitical tug-of-war between Washington and Moscow over influence in the Caribbean. Despite the optics of a Russian vessel breaking a US blockade, Trump dismissed the suggestion that the delivery provided a strategic victory for President Vladimir Putin.

“It doesn’t help him. He loses one boatload of oil, that’s all it is. If he wants to do that, and if other countries want to do it, it doesn’t bother me much,” Trump said.

The president maintained his hardline stance on the Cuban government even as he permitted the aid, describing the leadership in Havana as “very bad and corrupt.”

“It’s not going to have an impact. Cuba’s finished," he added. "I’d prefer letting it in, whether it’s Russia or anybody else because the people need heat and cooling and all of the other things.”

With inputs from AP