President Donald Trump says the US has begun talking with Cuban leaders as Washington intensifies economic pressure by cutting off key oil supplies, a move that has tightened fuel availability and raised concerns about humanitarian fallout.
US President Donald Trump has said Washington has initiated preliminary discussions with Cuba, even as his administration ramps up economic pressure on the communist-led nation by restricting its access to vital oil supplies.
Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late Saturday as he travelled to Florida. His comments follow a series of actions in recent weeks aimed at tightening Cuba’s energy supplies, including halting oil flows from Venezuela and Mexico — moves he indicated could push Havana towards negotiations.
While the administration has not clearly outlined its objectives in engaging Cuba, Trump has increasingly focused attention on the island after US authorities detained Venezuela’s then-president Nicolás Maduro in early January and adopted a tougher stance against countries viewed as adversaries.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Cuba’s government is nearing collapse.
However, the president offered no specifics on the scope or timing of contacts between US and Cuban officials. “We’re starting to talk to Cuba,” he said, without elaborating further.
The withdrawal of oil shipments has placed significant strain on the Cuban economy, exacerbating fuel shortages across the island.
Adding to the pressure, Trump last week signed an executive order imposing tariffs on goods imported from countries that supply oil to Cuba. The decision has particularly affected Mexico, which became a key energy provider to Havana after the United States cut off Venezuelan oil exports following Maduro’s removal.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that it could cause a humanitarian crisis. She said on Friday that she would seek alternatives to continue helping Cuba.
“It doesn’t have to be a humanitarian crisis. I think they probably would come to us and want to make a deal,” Trump said Saturday. “So Cuba would be free again.”
He predicted they would make some sort of deal with Cuba and said, “I think, you know, we’ll be kind.”
With inputs from agencies
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