President Donald Trump said Saturday he expects Washington and Havana to reach an agreement without U.S. military action, as Cuba’s foreign minister separately said his government remains open to dialogue and commercial ties with American companies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
President Donald Trump predicted Saturday that the United States and Cuba will reach an agreement and said he does not expect American military action will be necessary, even as his administration continues applying economic and political pressure on Havana.
“I would say that Cuba and us will make a deal. I don’t think we’ll need the military,” Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for Tennessee.
The president also said his administration wants to improve conditions for Cubans and expand access between the two countries.
“We want to help Cuba,” Trump said.
“We want to open Cuba up to our people,” he added.
Trump’s comments represent a more diplomatic emphasis than some of the administration’s recent rhetoric toward the Cuban government.
His administration has openly called for political change in Cuba while tightening pressure on the government through economic measures. A U.S.-imposed oil blockade earlier this year has added to fuel shortages and power disruptions on the island, where aging infrastructure has contributed to recurring blackouts.
Trump addressed Cuba directly during his speech Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly, describing the country as a failed state and declaring that “freedom will be coming to Cuba.” The Cuban delegation walked out during his remarks.
The president’s Saturday prediction came as Cuba publicly signaled that it remains willing to talk with Washington.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez told the United Nations later Saturday that Havana would continue to be open to dialogue with the United States, although he did not directly respond to Trump’s latest remarks.
“We are open to commercial and business relationships with U.S. companies, just as we are with any other country,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez also strongly criticized the longstanding U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.
Washington has maintained broad economic restrictions on Cuba for more than six decades. The Trump administration has increased pressure further this year as it pursues a broader strategy toward governments in the Western Hemisphere that it considers hostile to U.S. interests.
That approach intensified after the United States used military force in January to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose government had been one of Havana’s closest regional allies.
Despite those measures and Trump’s declaration at the United Nations that political change is coming to Cuba, his latest comments suggest he believes an agreement can be reached without extending U.S. military operations to the island.
“I would say that Cuba and us will make a deal,” Trump said. “I don’t think we’ll need the military.”
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