Key facts
- President Donald Trump predicted the US and Cuba will make a deal.
- Trump stated military action against Cuba will not be necessary.
- Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed recent secretive talks with the US.
- The talks are in their first phase, with negotiators establishing an agenda.
- The Trump administration has imposed a fuel blockade on Cuba.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading discussions with Cuba.
President Donald Trump predicted on Saturday that the US and Cuba will reach an agreement, stating that military action would not be necessary. "I would say that Cuba and us will make a deal," Trump told reporters at the White House.
In a rare move, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly acknowledged on Friday that his government was holding secretive talks with the U.S. as Trump intensifies his pressure campaign against the regime. "Cuban officials have recently held talks with representatives of the United States government," Díaz-Canel said during a televised address. He added that the talks were still "in their first phase" and that negotiators from both countries were working "to establish an agenda."