The American government, which recently relaxed sanctions against Russian oil, emphasized on Thursday that these hydrocarbons still cannot be delivered to Cuba, nor to North Korea, according to a document issued by Washington.
The United States Treasury Department amended on March 12 the sanctions against oil originating in Russia to try to stabilize the global energy market disrupted by the war in the Middle East, triggered by US President Donald Trump.
This relaxation allows, until April 11, the sale of oil already loaded on ships.
The department updated its license on Thursday, specifying that the sales cannot benefit Cuba or North Korea, according to a document published by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the US government agency responsible for sanctions, reports Agence France Presse.
The United States has blocked energy supplies to Cuba since the ouster of its main ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, in January.
Cuba has not imported oil since January 9, the date of the last delivery provided by Mexico before it halted fuel shipments under pressure from the White House.
Western sanctions on Russian oil were imposed to deplete the country's resources at war with Ukraine.
The relaxation of sanctions by Washington was criticized by Kiev and the Europeans, AFP recalls.
