The Monocle Daily Russian fuel enters Cuba after another Donald Trump U-turn
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Mar 30, 2026 James Rogers, international journalism professor and author, and Eliana Hrivko, foreign policy CEO and Ukraine expert, discuss Russia's tanker docking in Cuba and a surprising US policy shift. They explore Ukraine pitching defence know-how to Gulf states and the strategic gains from those ties. They also examine Viktor Orbán's troubled campaign and how satire navigates serious political crises.
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US Lets Russian Tanker Enter To Avoid Confrontation
- The US allowed a Russian tanker to dock in Cuba likely to avoid a naval confrontation amid wider global crises.
- James Rogers suggests this is a one-off pragmatic decision rather than a lasting policy reversal by Donald Trump.
Trump Targets 'Easy' Regime Changes Driven By Domestic Politics
- Trump appears to pick regime-change targets he deems 'easy' and has been emboldened by recent successes like Venezuela.
- Eliana Hrivko argues domestic political pressures, including the Cuban community in Florida, also shape his stance.
Shortages Rarely Produce Instant Regime Change
- Economic hardship from loss of external support rarely topples entrenched regimes like Cuba's.
- James Rogers recalls 1990s Cuba surviving severe shortages after Soviet collapse without regime change.
