ToplineThe Russian government on Monday said that a tanker from the country—which is carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil as part of a “humanitarian” mission—has arrived in Cuba, in a move that could help partly ease an energy crisis in the country triggered by an effective U.S. oil blockade ordered by President Donald Trump earlier this year.The oil blockade has plunged Cuba into an energy crisis, triggering daily blackouts and fuel shortages.AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsCiting Russia’s Ministry of Transport, state news outlet RIA Novosti reported that the tanker, Anatoly Kolodkin, is carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil and has arrived in the port of Matanzas in northern Cuba.The Russian ministry described the shipment as “humanitarian aid” for the country, which has faced a crippling oil shortage in the past month, and said it is “awaiting unloading at the port.”The Russian crude shipment is unlikely to alleviate Cuba’s energy crisis immediately, as it will likely take a few weeks to be refined and it is unclear if more such shipments will be sent to the country.What Did Trump Say About Russian Oil Tanker Entering Cuba?While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump was asked about the Russian shipment to Cuba. He said: “We don't mind having somebody get a boatload because they need they have to survive…I told them if a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem with that.” When asked if he thought such a shipment would help Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Trump said: “Why? He loses one boatload of oil. That's all it is. It's fine.” The president then added that he was not bothered by the shipment, “It's not going to have an impact. Cuba is finished. They have a bad regime. They have very bad and corrupt leadership. And whether or not they get a boat of oil, it's not going to matter.”Key BackgroundCuba has been facing a major energy crisis since the start of this year after being effectively cut off from accessing Venezuelan oil, on which it was heavily dependent, after the U.S. military deposed and captured Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro. Weeks after deposing Maduro, Trump signed an executive order targeting the Cuban government and accusing the country of supporting “numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States.” The order included a raft of economic measures, including threats of tariffs against countries that sent fuel to Cuba, forcing countries like Mexico to halt such shipments. Russia had earlier dismissed these tariff threats, pointing out that it does little trade with the U.S. What Has Cuba Said About The Oil Blockade?Cuban officials have not yet commented on the arrival of the Russian oil, but earlier this month, the country’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel said his administration was in talks with the U.S. government to resolve the impasse. Díaz-Canel also said at the time that no oil had entered Cuba in the past three months.Crucial QuoteSpeaking at an investment forum in Miami last week, Trump boasted about he U.S. military’s prowess and said: “I built this great military. I said, ‘You'll never have to use it.’ ​But sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is ​next by the way. But pretend I didn't ‌say ⁠that. Pretend I didn't.” It is unclear if this means that Trump is planning a military invasion of the island nation, but New York Times reported earlier this month that the administration is trying to use the oil blockade to pressure Díaz-Canel out of power.Further ReadingA New U.S. Blockade Is Strangling Cuba (New York Times)