President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he believes a deal with Cuba will be made.
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When asked if there is any military action for Cuba amid reports that reserves have been activated, President Trump said, “I will say, Cuba and us will make a deal. I don’t think we’ll need the military.”
He also said that Cuba is failing badly and “we want to open up Cuba to our people.”
The president’s latest comments come after he renewed his criticism of Cuba during his address to the U.N. General Assembly.
“My administration is also seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba, where the communist regime is under great pressure, the biggest pressure they’ve ever been under. It’s an absolutely failed state,” Trump said.
The Cuban government pushed back against criticism from President Trump as the administration continues to increase pressure on the communist-led island nation.
Despite ongoing pressure from Washington, there have been indications that some level of communication between the Trump administration and the Cuban government continues.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a longtime critic of Cuba’s communist government, acknowledged the nation’s deep-rooted economic and political challenges while suggesting progress will not happen quickly.
“You don’t reverse 60-something years of mismanagement, corruption, and incompetence in six months,” Rubio said. “But I do think that Cuba has a golden opportunity to place itself on an irreversible path towards a better future. And we are prepared to be helpful in that regard if they’re open to it, obviously.”
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