Russian Oil Tanker Arrives in Cuba as Moscow Vows to Stand by Havana

By Vladimir Soldatkin and Dmitry Antonov

MOSCOW, March 30 (Reuters) – 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 U.S. blockade of the Communist-run island.

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

But Trump on Sunday signaled he was reversing course and