Cuba's been running on fumes since January when the US captured Venezuelan leader Maduro — stripping Cuba of its key oil supplier. Trump then blocked Venezuelan shipments and threatened tariffs on any country helping Cuba. Even Mexico stopped exports.
Trump's playing realpolitik — tightening the screws on Cuba while acknowledging they need basic survival resources. The blockade remains, but this exception shows pragmatism amid complex geopolitical chess involving Russia, Iran, and energy security.
Another tanker, the Sea Horse, was carrying 200,000 barrels of Russian fuel to Cuba but got rerouted to Venezuela instead. The Anatoly Kolodkin's 730,000 barrels will provide significant relief to President Díaz-Canel's fuel-rationed island.
Trump's playing geopolitics chess: pressure Cuba, but don't let the island collapse entirely. The energy crisis eases, Russia gets a customer, and Trump maintains leverage. Pragmatic survival over total blockade.
The relief is massive for Cuba, where President Díaz-Canel has enforced strict gas rationing for months. Another ship (Sea Horse) carrying 200,000 barrels of Russian fuel was rerouted to Venezuela instead of Cuba, but this tanker got the green light.
Cuba's been in crisis mode since January when the US captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro — stripping the island of its main oil supplier. Trump then blocked Venezuelan shipments and threatened tariffs on any third country helping Cuba. Even Mexico stopped exports.
The Anatoly Kolodkin departed from Russia and is tracking toward Cuba's Matanzas port. This comes as the US temporarily eased Russian oil sanctions to stabilize global energy markets amid chaos in the Strait of Hormuz following strikes on Iran.
Trump just flipped the script on Cuba's energy crisis — a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude is heading to the island with US approval, breaking months of blockade. "They have to survive," Trump said, marking a sharp pivot from his own pressure campaign.
4/6 🧵
Cuba's been running on fumes since January when the US captured Venezuelan leader Maduro — stripping Cuba of its key oil supplier. Trump then blocked Venezuelan shipments and threatened tariffs on any country helping Cuba. Even Mexico stopped exports.
6/6 🧵
Trump's playing realpolitik — tightening the screws on Cuba while acknowledging they need basic survival resources. The blockade remains, but this exception shows pragmatism amid complex geopolitical chess involving Russia, Iran, and energy security.
📎 Source
📎 Source
#threadstorm
5/6 🧵
Another tanker, the Sea Horse, was carrying 200,000 barrels of Russian fuel to Cuba but got rerouted to Venezuela instead. The Anatoly Kolodkin's 730,000 barrels will provide significant relief to President Díaz-Canel's fuel-rationed island.
5/5 🧵
Trump's playing geopolitics chess: pressure Cuba, but don't let the island collapse entirely. The energy crisis eases, Russia gets a customer, and Trump maintains leverage. Pragmatic survival over total blockade.
📎 Source
📎 Source
#threadstorm
4/5 🧵
The relief is massive for Cuba, where President Díaz-Canel has enforced strict gas rationing for months. Another ship (Sea Horse) carrying 200,000 barrels of Russian fuel was rerouted to Venezuela instead of Cuba, but this tanker got the green light.
3/5 🧵
Cuba's been in crisis mode since January when the US captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro — stripping the island of its main oil supplier. Trump then blocked Venezuelan shipments and threatened tariffs on any third country helping Cuba. Even Mexico stopped exports.
2/5 🧵
The Anatoly Kolodkin departed from Russia and is tracking toward Cuba's Matanzas port. This comes as the US temporarily eased Russian oil sanctions to stabilize global energy markets amid chaos in the Strait of Hormuz following strikes on Iran.
1/5 🧵
Trump just flipped the script on Cuba's energy crisis — a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude is heading to the island with US approval, breaking months of blockade. "They have to survive," Trump said, marking a sharp pivot from his own pressure campaign.