Stakes Higher Than Ever: Cuban Issue Forces Kremlin to Resort to Extreme Measures

Hidden details of the dialogue between the leaders of two major powers over the fate of the Island of Freedom may help avoid a forceful scenario and preserve Russia's position in Cuba. Putin Created Intrigue With Remarks About Talks With Trump on Cuba Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed during a meeting with foreign media executives on June 4 that he had discussed Cuba with U.S. President Donald Trump. However, he declined to reveal any details, mentioning only the dispatch of a Russian tanker to the island. Putin most likely discussed the conditions for humanitarian energy supplies. In March, Trump stated that he did "not object” to certain shipments of Russian oil to Cuba, while the U.S. Treasury temporarily issued short-term permits for tankers. The scope of those exemptions may have been the subject of the conversation. At the same time, it is known that a second tanker never reached Havana.