Russian oil tanker arrives in Cuba

HAVANA:

Russia said on Monday that an oil tanker carrying 100,000 metric tons of crude oil had arrived in Cuba and that Moscow would stand by its friends by working on further supplies despite a US blockade of the island.

The US cut off Venezuela's oil exports to Cuba after toppling deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and US President Donald Trump threatened to slap punishing tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba.

But Trump on Sunday signalled he was reversing course and expressed sympathy for the Cuban people's need for energy.

The Anatoly Kolodkin was waiting to offload at the port of Matanzas, Russia's transport ministry said.

The Kremlin said it had raised the issue of the tanker during talks with the US but that Russia felt it had a duty to support "friends" in Cuba.Reuters