Russia to Ship “Humanitarian” Oil to Cuba, Defying Trump’s Tariff Threats

Russia is preparing to ship oil and petroleum products to Cuba as “humanitarian aid,” despite US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose additional tariffs on countries that supply fuel to the island, The Moscow Times reported on February 12, citing Russian media.

Russia’s embassy in Havana told a Russian media outlet that the delivery is expected in the near future, though officials did not disclose volumes. The move comes as Cuba faces a deepening fuel crisis, with imports largely halted for nearly a month and reserves close to exhaustion.

Analysts cited by Russian outlets said Cuba could last no more than about 20 days without new imports. Mexico, which sent the last cargo on January 9, reportedly froze exports after Trump’s warnings, while Venezuela—previously the second-largest supplier stopped shipments after it’s leader Nicolas Maduro was detained by the US on January 3.

The Moscow Times noted that Russia’s last major delivery to Cuba took place in February 2025, when 100,000 tons of crude were shipped under a $60 million state loan approved by Putin. At Cuba’s average consumption of around 37,000 barrels per day, experts said such volumes would cover only several weeks without strict rationing.

Russian energy analysts warned that renewed shipments could carry economic and political costs for Moscow, potentially worsening relations with Washington and exposing Russian tankers to the risk of interception. They also pointed to Russia’s own growing budget deficit as a constraint on providing large-scale support abroad.

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New Russia–Cuba Military Pact: Is Moscow Reviving Its Cold War Strategy Against the US?

Oct 10, 2025 16:44

Earlier, a sanctioned Russian oil tanker attempting to deliver fuel to Venezuela has been repeatedly forced to turn back after a US Navy destroyer positioned itself directly in its path.

The tanker, Seahorse, part of Russia’s expanding shadow fleet, was sailing toward Venezuela when the USS Stockdale intercepted its route just off the Venezuelan coast. After the encounter, the Russian tanker abruptly reversed course toward Cuba, while the American destroyer continued past Venezuelan territorial waters toward Puerto Rico.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signaled Moscow’s readiness to back Havana financially, calling US pressure on Cuba “unacceptable.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has described the island’s fuel situation as “critical,” saying Russia was considering what assistance it could provide, The Moscow Times wrote.

Russia has long maintained close ties with Cuba, including Putin’s 2014 decision to write off 90% of Havana’s Soviet-era debt, worth roughly $32 billion.

Previously, it was reported that Russian airlines had suspended flights to Cuba amid a fuel crisis that has left thousands of tourists stranded.

Airlines Rossiya and Nordwind said they would temporarily halt services because of difficulties refueling aircraft at Cuban airports.

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