Trump says he has 'no problem' with Russian oil tanker bringing relief
to Cuba despite blockade
[March 30, 2026]
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
ABOARD AIRFORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday night said
he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba
delivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by
a U.S. oil blockade.
“We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a
boatload because they need… they have to survive,” Trump told reporters
as he flew back to Washington.
When asked if a New York Times report that the tanker would be allowed
to reach Cuba was true, Trump said: “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.”
On Monday, Russia's Transport Ministry said the oil tanker Anatoly
Kolodkin arrived at the Cuban port of Matanzas carrying “humanitarian
supplies” of about 730,000 barrels of oil.
The vessel is sanctioned by the United States, the European Union and
the United Kingdom following the war in Ukraine.
Trump, whose government has come at its Caribbean adversary more
aggressively than any U.S. government in recent history, has effectively
cut Cuba off from key oil shipments in an effort to force regime change.
The blockade has had devastating effects on the civilians Trump and
Secretary of State Marco Rubio say they want to help, leaving many
desperate.
Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of
crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital
and slashed public transport.
Experts say the anticipated shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels
of diesel, enough to feed Cuba’s daily demand for nine or 10 days.
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People spend the night in the dark on the Malecon during a blackout
in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with
years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has
crippled hospital and slashed public transport.
Cuba has long been at the heart of geopolitical tug-of-war between
the U.S. and Russia, dating back decades. Trump on Sunday dismissed
the idea that allowing the boat to reach Cuba would help Russian
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. “It’s not going to have an
impact. 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.”
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.”
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Associated Press reporters Megan Janetsky contributed to this report
from Mexico City and Andrea Rodríguez contributed from Havana.
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