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The United States on Monday signaled that it was softening on what has become an effective oil blockade on Cuba, an about-face after President Trump spent weeks threatening to take over the island and saying he would punish nations that shipped fuel there.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the United States would evaluate oil shipments to Cuba on a \u201ccase-by-case basis.\u201d She was responding to questions about why the U.S. Coast Guard allowed a Russian tanker full of crude to reach Cuba, even though it has been blocking other countries from doing the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will continue to be made on a case-by-case basis for humanitarian reasons or otherwise, but there\u2019s been no firm change in our sanctions policy,\u201d Ms. Leavitt said.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration has blocked energy shipments to Cuba since January as part of a strategy to force the Communist government into submission. Mr. Trump said in a January social media post: \u201cTHERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA \u2014 ZERO!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
But when it came to an oil tanker from Russia, Mr. Trump \u2014 who has long expressed admiration for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia \u2014 made an exception. For Russia, Mr. Trump\u2019s decision to let the ship through came as the latest demonstration that it has some leverage over Washington.<\/p>\n
Dmitri S. Peskov, Mr. Putin\u2019s spokesman, said the fuel shipment had been discussed in advance with the United States and that Russia had \u2060a duty to support \u201cfriends\u201d in Cuba.<\/p>\n
The U.S. decision to let the ship through came just days after Mr. Trump eased oil sanctions on Russia and Iran in a bid to contain soaring energy prices prompted by the war with Iran.<\/p>\n