Russia Commits More Oil Supplies to Cuba After Initial Shipment

Regional outlets focus on how India is benefiting from stepped-up crude shipments from Russia and Venezuela under the renewed US waiver. They stress that New Delhi is using discounted barrels to feed its refineries and re-export products, even as US messaging on sanctions shifts from week to week. Commentators in the region see the short extension as both an opportunity and a source of planning risk for Asian buyers.

• •The US one-month waiver renewal lets India keep importing Russian oil that might otherwise be restricted.
• •Indian refiners are using cheap Russian and Venezuelan crude to boost margins and export more fuels.
• •Washington’s rapid change from saying the waiver would end to renewing it has surprised Indian officials and traders.
• •Regional governments view the waiver as a temporary breathing space rather than a stable long-term policy.
• •Cuba’s new Russian oil supplies are seen in the region as part of Moscow’s wider push to deepen ties in Latin America.