Trump on Cuba Oil Delivery: 'It's Not Going to Matter'

A long-awaited ship just broke Cuba's months-long oil drought. A Russian-owned tanker has docked at Matanzas, the country's main oil terminal, carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of crude Havana hopes will ease the severe fuel squeeze that has triggered a national crisis, per the BBC. Aiming to force political change with an energy crunch, US President Trump threatened to slap tariffs on any country that sent oil to Cuba in January after US forces invaded its regional source, Venezuela. That triggered food shortages and blackouts, leaving the island's hospitals, schools, and government offices struggling to operate, and its main tourism economy hindered. Drivers sometimes wait weeks for a capped 20 liters of gas.

Though Washington says the oil blockade is still in place, the US "allowed this ship to reach Cuba in order to provide humanitarian needs," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday, adding such decisions are made "on a case-by-case basis." Russia confirmed it spoke with Washington about the delivery beforehand, per CNN. Mexico also offered to send oil, but apparently met US resistance, per the New York Times. President Trump said Sunday he had "no problem" with other nations sending fuel because Cubans "have to survive." But he also said "a boat of oil, it's not going to matter." As CNN reports, the delivered crude still needs to be refined over the next few weeks and represents no more than a month's supply for the country.