Cuba thanks Russia for oil aid

On March 31, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba posted on social media to express gratitude to Russia for helping with oil amid Russia’s energy embargo against Cuba by the United States. On the same day, Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O, also posted a message thanking the Russian government and the Russian people for their support for Cuba. According to the Cuban Communist Party’s official newspaper, Granma, a Russian oil tanker carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil arrived in Cuba’s western Bay of Matanzas on the morning of the same day. This batch of crude oil is expected to support the operation of Cuba’s national power grid and other economic activities for about 10 days. The report also noted that if the United States does not lift its blockade of Cuba, Cuba’s energy shortages would be difficult to resolve fundamentally.

After the United States launched a large-scale military strike against Venezuela earlier this year, it further increased pressure on Cuba, including by implementing a new round of oil restriction measures. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 29, threatening to impose ad valorem tariffs on goods imported into the United States from countries that supply oil to Cuba. According to The New York Times, on the 29th of this month, the U.S. Coast Guard allowed a Russian oil tanker fully loaded with crude oil to sail to Cuban ports. On the 30th, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would not ignore Cuba’s energy-related tense situation and would continue efforts to address its oil supply problems. ( Xinhua News Agency )