Russia will continue supplying crude oil to Cuba, Tass reported on the 30th.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin Spokesperson, when asked at a briefing whether Russia would continue supporting Cuba with energy, said, "We cannot turn a blind eye to the dire situation Cuba faces," and added, "We will continue working to resolve the issue."
The Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil, arrived at the port of Matanzas near Havana, Cuba, that day. Spokesperson Peskov said, "Blockaded Cuba is in urgent need of petroleum products and crude oil," and noted, "Russia considers it a duty to provide the necessary support to its Cuban friends, and we are pleased that the crude has arrived in Cuba this time."
Asked whether the United States had been aware that Russia intended to supply crude to Cuba on humanitarian grounds, he said, "We can confirm that this issue was raised in advance during our contacts with the U.S. side."
The previous day, the New York Times (NYT) reported that a U.S. Coast Guard vessel had been deployed near the route of the Anatoly Kolodkin, but that the administration of Donald Trump did not issue an order to block the ship. The vessel has been on the U.S. sanctions list since 2024.
In connection with this, President Trump, during a gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One, acknowledged the existence of the tanker and said, "It's fine if someone has a single shipload because they need it and have to survive," indicating he would not block the Russian tanker's crude shipment.
Cuba's oil and gas supplies were cut off due to the tightening of the U.S. embargo. The last time it imported energy commodities was on Jan. 9, when it brought in oil from Mexico.