U.S. authorities will allow a Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba despite Washington’s energy blockade of the island, The New York Times reported.
According to the newspaper, the tanker is carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of oil and was reportedly located 15 nautical miles from the island on Sunday.
The vessel could enter Cuban territorial waters as early as Sunday evening and arrive in the city of Matanzas by March 31.
The arrival of the Russian ship carrying energy supplies will help Cuba avoid running out of fuel for several weeks, the NYT added.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Washington will allow a Russian-flagged oil tanker to reach Cuba as the island faces a deepening energy crisis.
“If a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem. I prefer letting it in, whether it’s Russia or anybody else," Trump said.
The U.S. leader called Cuba "a mess."
“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," Trump said.
Today, the Russian Transport Ministry reported that Russia’s tanker Anatoly Kolodkin carrying 100,000 tons of oil as humanitarian aid has arrived in Cuba. The ship is currently awaiting unloading at the port of Mansas.
