energy crisis after US President Donald Trump granted a reprieve from his oil blockade. The Anatoly Kolodkin, a tanker under US sanctions carrying 730,000 barrels of crude, was due to arrive at the western port of Matanzas by Tuesday with the first oil shipment to the communist-ruled island since January. Trump's decision to let Russia deliver the oil avoids a confrontation with Moscow and provides temporary relief to a country that has endured blackouts, fuel rationing and dwindling public transportation. "We'll welcome it with open arms. You have no idea how badly we need that oil," said Rosa Perez, a 74-year-old retiree who was taking a walk near the Matanzas port as her house had lost power again. "Let's see if things improve for us, even just a little...I can't take it anymore," she told AFP, voicing hope that more shipments will follow. Others said it was not enough to solve Cuba's crisis. "It's a drop in the bucket compared to what this country needs. It means next to nothing," said Raul Pomares, a 56-year-old gardener waiting for a taxi in Havana. "It's a symbolic gesture that won't have any real impact on the economy for ordinary Cubans," he added. Moscow said it was "pleased" that the tanker had reached Cuban waters. "Russia considers it its duty to step up and provide necessary assistance to our Cuban friends," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Moscow and Washington had been in touch over the shipment. (Bssnews)