## U.S. Permits Sanctioned Russian Tanker 'Anatoly Kolodkin' to Deliver Oil to Cuba, Signaling Policy Shift
In a significant departure from its recent enforcement posture, the United States is permitting a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to Cuba. According to a report in The New York Times, the U.S. Coast Guard is allowing the vessel *Anatoly Kolodkin*, owned by the sanctioned Russian state-controlled shipping company Sovcomflot, to proceed to the port of Matanzas with an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil. This decision comes just a week after other Russian tankers bound for Cuba were diverted under a months-long U.S. oil blockade, and despite the presence of two U.S. Coast Guard cutters in the region capable of interception.

The tanker, which left Primorsk, Russia on March 9, is expected to dock as early as Monday night or Tuesday. This development marks a notable pause in the Biden administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Russian energy exports and their support for the Cuban government. That campaign had included threats to third-party nations, the physical escorting of at least one earlier tanker away from Cuban waters, and recent Treasury Department measures explicitly barring Cuba from receiving any waivers for Russian-origin oil.

The move raises immediate questions about the consistency and strategic intent of U.S. sanctions enforcement. It signals a potential tactical recalibration or a pause in direct confrontation, creating an opening for Russia to maintain a critical energy lifeline to a long-standing ally in the Caribbean. The decision places scrutiny on whether this is an isolated exception or the precursor to a broader, unannounced shift in how the U.S. manages the complex nexus of energy sanctions, geopolitical pressure, and regional stability.
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- **Source**: ZeroHedge
- **Sector**: The Network
- **Tags**: US Sanctions, Russian Oil, Cuba, Geopolitics, Maritime Security
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-03-30 03:56:55
- **ID**: 40411
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/40411