Trump Threatens to Take Cuba as Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Says Military Ready to Respond

President Donald Trump has escalated tensions with Cuba by publicly declaring his intention to 'take' the island nation.

“Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said last week that officials from Washington and Havana have engaged in direct talks in an effort to address their differences”

Anadolu Ajansı

Trump stated he believes he will have 'the honor of taking Cuba' and claimed he 'can do anything I want with it.'

Anadolu Ajansı

These provocative remarks came amid the Trump administration's aggressive stance toward Havana, which included capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January.

The administration has also implemented a severe oil blockade against Cuba, contributing to the island's economic crisis.

Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío responded forcefully, warning that Cuba's military is 'prepared' for any US aggression.

Cossío stated the military is actively preparing 'for the possibility of military aggression' amid rising tensions.

The Cuban official expressed bewilderment at why the United States would attack a neighboring country.

Cossío asserted Cuba's sovereign right to self-determination and rejected becoming a 'vassal state' under US control.

The escalating rhetoric has heightened fears of potential military confrontation between the two nations.

Cuba has emphasized its long-standing military preparedness and national unity in the face of perceived US threats.

Cuban officials have stressed that the country maintains a historical readiness to mobilize as a nation against potential aggression.

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Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío stated that while Cuba views military action as 'far from us' and 'not something that is probable,' it would be 'naive if we do not prepare.'

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel reinforced this message by declaring that 'in the face of the worst scenario, #Cuba is accompanied by a certainty: any external aggressor will clash with an impregnable resistance.'

The Cuban leadership has framed its stance as a matter of national sovereignty and dignity.

Cossío emphasized that Cuba 'would not accept to become a vassal state or a dependent state from any other country or any other superpower.'

The military preparations follow heightened alert measures, including a National Defense Council meeting to analyze and approve 'plans and measures for transitioning to a state of war' in case of conflict.

The Trump administration's aggressive policies have severely impacted Cuba's economy, particularly through an oil blockade that has caused widespread shortages and power outages.

“But we would be naive if we do not prepare”

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Cuban officials have described the US oil blockade as 'very severe,' accusing Washington of threatening other countries with 'coercive measures' against importing fuel to the island.

The economic crisis has led to major blackouts, with power grids collapsing multiple times this month, leaving Cubans without electricity for extended periods.

The fuel shortages have affected transport, health, and education systems across the country, with hospitals reporting dire circumstances.

Cuba's economy has plummeted since the Trump administration captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, cutting off vital oil supplies that had been supporting the Cuban economy.

Despite the economic pressure, Cuban officials remain defiant, with Deputy Foreign Minister Cossío stating that 'this boycott that the United States has been imposing does not last and cannot be sustained forever.'

Despite the heightened tensions, diplomatic communications continue between the United States and Cuba, though both sides emphasize the limited nature of these discussions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a second-generation American of Cuban descent, is leading the dialogue with Cuban officials.

L'Humanité

However, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has made clear that these talks do not include regime change or the release of political prisoners.

'We are in dialogue with the United States to talk about bilateral issues. We're not talking about prisoners in the United States, and the U.S. has the highest record of prisoners in the world,' Cossío stated.

The Cuban official rejected the idea that the nature of Cuba's government is negotiable, emphasizing that 'the structure of the Cuban government and the members of the Cuban government are not part of the negotiation.'

Cossío asserted that 'that is something that no sovereign country negotiates.'

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rubio has publicly stated that Cuba is 'in a lot of trouble, and the people in charge are — they don't know how to fix it, so they have to get new people in charge,'

a position firmly rejected by Cuban officials who deny the country is in any state of collapse.

The current tensions must be understood within the broader historical context of US-Cuba relations dating back to the Cuban Revolution of 1959.

“The American president has multiplied threats against Cuba after the raid in Caracas that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Havana’s main ally and energy supplier”

Le Journal de Montréal

American presidents have consistently sought regime change in Cuba since Fidel Castro took power, a pattern that continues with the Trump administration.

Le Journal de Montréal

Analysts note that Trump has designated Cuba as a 'state sponsor of international terrorism' without evidence, providing a 'ready-made public-relations justification to intensify regime-change operations.'

This approach reflects a long US history of treating Cuba as a protectorate rather than a sovereign state, including the Platt Amendment that granted the US 'the right to intervene' in Cuban affairs.

The current situation also mirrors Trump's approach to other nations, with lawmakers expressing concern that 'Donald Trump thinks he can bully himself around the world and take over this country or that country or whatever country he wants.'

Representative Jim McGovern warned that such behavior 'is going to come back to bite us in the rear end, quite frankly, and it's a really dangerous precedent.'

Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly suggested Cuba will collapse on its own, though intelligence assessments warn that Cuban instability could trigger mass migration and increased pressures for US military intervention.