The United States has effectively allowed a Russian oil tanker with a large consignment of crude oil to reach Cuba, despite months of severe pressure on fuel supplies to the island. According to Western media, the vessel is carrying about 730,000 barrels of oil and could arrive at the Cuban port of Matanzas in the near future. This was reported by NYT, writes UNN.
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This decision appears to be a stark exception amidst the de facto oil blockade that the Donald Trump administration has been building around Cuba in recent months.
Analysts believe that the tanker's arrival could give Cuba at least several weeks of energy respite. The country has long been living under conditions of a severe fuel crisis, daily power outages, gasoline shortages, and rising prices.
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In fact, this supply could temporarily relieve some of the pressure on the Cuban authorities, who are balancing on the brink of an even deeper economic crisis.
Washington avoids direct confrontation with Moscow near Cuba
The most striking aspect of this story is not just the oil itself, but also the fact that the US seemingly deliberately avoided forcibly intercepting the Russian vessel. This allows Washington to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia literally off the coast of Florida.
Amidst the aggressive rhetoric from the White House regarding Cuba, this move appears to be a forced, yet very telling, retreat.