Vladimir Putin sends lifeline to Cuba as country faces total collapse

Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, is sending an oil tanker to help Cuba, but there's a big problem. Cuba is having a really tough time with not enough food, water, and power.

The country is in its worst money trouble for 30 years, and the people in charge have asked for help.

Cuba is in a bad spot because of rules from the US, not many tourists coming to visit, and not making enough things themselves. But now it looks like Putin is going to give them a hand.

Jorge Pinon, who knows a lot about energy and used to be a big boss in the oil business, told the Havana Times: "Cuba's dependence on Russia and its other allies, cemented by their political similarities, is the only thing the country can count on."

He also said: "Russia has plenty of crude oil and, because of US sanctions imposed on Moscow after Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and is looking for new markets. Also, Russian crude from the Urals region is the kind best suited to Cuban refineries' capabilities. In fact, the refinery in Cienfuegos was designed specifically handle it."

An expert has pointed out a huge hurdle for Cuba despite its capability to use oil for energy. They said: "The most pressing problem for Havana is how to pay for it."

A massive ship, the NS Concord, is travelling from Russia to Cuba carrying 697,000 barrels of crude oil. If Cuba can sort out their monetary issues on time, the vessel will arrive next week, on March 29.

On Sunday, protesters took to the streets in the eastern city of Santiago decrying power outages lasting up to eight hours and shortages of food.

It comes as Cuba's government on Monday protested as interventionist comments from the U.S. Embassy on the island following demonstrations against power blackouts and food shortages by hundreds of people in eastern Cuba.

Cuba's Foreign Ministry delivered a note expressing the complaint to the chargé d'affaires at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Benjamin Ziff.

State media confirmed the protests in Santiago, while the U.S. Embassy in Havana said there were also reports of protests in a number of other provinces across the island.