Havana: The United States has permitted a Russian oil tanker, Anatoly Kolodkin, laden with 730,000 barrels of crude oil, to approach Cuba despite a de facto American oil blockade. The tanker was reportedly nearing Cuba's eastern tip at a speed of 12 knots, with an expected arrival at the port of Matanzas on Tuesday.

According to Deutsche Welle, US President Donald Trump expressed that he had "no problem" with Russia or any other country supplying oil to Cuba, as the island grapples with a severe energy crisis. This decision marks a shift from Trump's previous stance, wherein he imposed a de facto fuel blockade on Cuba following the ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a key ally and energy supplier to Havana.

The crisis in Cuba has intensified, with the island's 9.6 million residents experiencing frequent blackouts due to the energy shortage. This Russian oil shipment is the first since January 9, providing some relief to the energy-strapped nation.

The Anatoly Kolodkin embarked on its journey from the port of Primorsk in Russia on March 8. The British Royal Navy monitored the tanker's voyage, dispatching HMS Mersey and a Wildcat helicopter for surveillance as the tanker traversed the English Channel, escorted by a Russian naval ship.

The New York Times reported that the US Coast Guard permitted the sanctioned vessel's passage to Cuba, following a temporary easing of US sanctions on Russia to stabilize the disrupted global oil market amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran.