Vladimir Putin is testing Donald Trump by sending oil tankers straight through his embargo on Cuba.
Two vessels carrying Russian oil and gas were initially bound for Cuba, in a direct challenge to the Trump administration’s effort to choke off fuel supplies, according to maritime intelligence data reported by The Financial Times.
One of the ships, believed to be transporting about 27,000 metric tons of liquefied natural gas, had been expected to arrive as early as Monday, but has since updated its destination to a port in Venezuela, according to Bloomberg.
A second tanker, thought to be carrying roughly 100,000 metric tons of crude, is still en route to Cuba, in apparent defiance of U.S. restrictions.
The delivery is expected to arrive in early April, and if successful, will be the first to reach Cuba since a Mexican shipment in early January.
Mexico halted further shipments amid concern over repercussions from the Trump administration, though Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has insisted it was a “sovereign decision.”
The shipment of Russian fuel suggests Moscow is testing how far it can push Trump’s embargo—even if Russian shipments get through, they will not ease the situation in Cuba for long.
Energy expert Jorge Piñón told the Associated Press that the crude shipment would only amount to little more than a week’s worth of usable fuel, with any diesel likely diverted to critical sectors such as agriculture and transport.
“We’re talking about crude oil that has to be refined into liquid fuels… Each product has its specific demand,” he said.
The island’s energy system is already buckling under the sustained pressure.
Earlier this week, Cuba’s electricity grid collapsed, triggering a nationwide blackout that left more than 10 million people temporarily without power.
The Cuban government has said it is relying on a mix of natural gas, solar power, and thermoelectric plants as outages continue, according to AP.
Trump has ramped up his rhetoric against Cuba in recent days, suggesting he would take Cuba “in some form.”
“Whether I free it, take it, I could do anything I want with it [if] you want to know the truth,” he said.
His administration has also warned it would target countries that continue to send fuel to the island.
Russia, however, is still testing those limits—and the standoff is now playing out offshore.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
