ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Jan 31 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he believed the United States would “work a deal” on Cuba.
His comments came days after threatening tariffs on any country supplying Cuba with oil.
Trump reiterated his call for Cuba to negotiate with the United States.
“It doesn’t have to be a humanitarian crisis,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida.
“I think they probably would come to us and want to make a deal … They have a situation that’s very bad for Cuba. They have no money. They have no oil. They lived off Venezuelan money and oil, and none of that’s coming now.”
In 2025, Venezuela was Cuba’s largest oil supplier, meeting roughly one-third of the island’s daily needs. Supply from Venezuela dropped following the U.S. blockade on shipments from there, even before the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Reuters exclusively reported in January that Mexico, Cuba’s top supplier after Venezuela cut off shipments in December, was reviewing whether to continue sending oil amid fears it could face retaliation from Washington.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt on Air Force One; Writing by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Sonali Paul)
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