The White House said that despite allowing a Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba, the U.S. sanctions policy toward Cuba remains unchanged
On Monday, March 30, the White House stated that the decades-long U.S. sanctions policy toward Cuba has not changed. Earlier, a Russian vessel carrying fuel supplies arrived at the Caribbean island nation, which is currently facing severe fuel shortages, economic hardship, and a U.S. trade embargo.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing: "The sanctions policy has not formally changed. We allowed this ship to arrive in Cuba to meet the humanitarian needs of the Cuban people."
When asked whether more oil tankers would be permitted to travel to Cuba, Leavitt said: "These decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis."
Leavitt stated that the government's position is, "Unless Cuba undergoes significant political and leadership changes, its failing economy cannot be repaired."
According to Russian officials, the Russian oil tanker "Anatoly Kolodkin," which arrived in Cuba earlier Monday, carried 100,000 tons of crude oil.
President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday night that he did not oppose the vessel's arrival, as the Cuban people need fuel for heating and cooling.
The United States has been pressuring Europe and India to stop buying Russian oil, stating that such purchases provide financial support for Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
Trump said he does not believe allowing this Russian vessel to reach Cuba would help Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"If he wants to do it, and if other countries want to do it too, it makes no difference to me and won’t have any effect," Trump said.
President Trump also reiterated that, after Venezuela and Iran, Cuba "will be the next" country to witness the collapse of its shaky anti-U.S. regime. However, he did not specify what actions the U.S. might take against Havana's government.
He predicted that the Cuban regime would fall "in the short term" and pledged that the U.S. "will extend a helping hand when the time comes."
When asked about specific forms of support the U.S. might offer Cuba, Trump said his administration would assist "our great Cuban-American community, who were once expelled from Cuba."
President Trump recently also suggested that, due to Cuba's dire situation, the U.S. might carry out a "friendly takeover" of the country.
On January 29, the White House declared a national emergency regarding Cuba, claiming that the Cuban regime collaborates with numerous hostile nations and malicious actors by hosting their military and intelligence forces abroad.
In an executive order signed by President Trump, he stated that Cuba hosts the largest foreign signals intelligence facility operated by Russia, specifically dedicated to stealing sensitive U.S. national security information.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel recently acknowledged that the country had engaged in "dialogue" with the United States, but there have been no reports of breakthrough progress so far.
Source: vua
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861149925218327/
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