Cuba’s worst fuel crisis in decades may get relief from Russia
A tanker carrying Russian crude appears headed to Cuba as the fuel-starved Caribbean island seeks a reprieve three months after the Trump administration effectively shut off the flow of oil to the country.Data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler shows a tanker carrying more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude is expected to arrive in Cuba by the end of the month.The Russian oil would be a test of the U.S. embargo on the island and it’s unclear if any vessels will be able to deliver crude. Since December, a U.S. naval blockade in the Caribbean has successfully deterred ships from approaching Cuba, while the threat of tariffs on countries supplying oil to the country led Mexico to halt shipments in early February. Mexico had previously emerged as Havana’s top supplier of oil after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year and halted fuel flows from what had been the communist-run island’s staunchest ally.
