Trump says U.S. is ‘starting to talk to Cuba’ as he moves to cut its oil supplies

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Trump said the United States was beginning to talk with Cuban leaders as his administration puts greater pressure on the communist-run island and cuts off key oil supplies.

He made the comment to reporters Saturday night as he was flying to Florida. It comes in the wake of his moves in recent weeks to cut off supplies of oil from Venezuela and Mexico, which he suggested Saturday would force Cuba to the negotiating table.

His goals with Cuba remain unclear, but Trump has turned more of his attention toward the island since he ordered the military invasion of Venezuela and capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro, in early January, and he has been more aggressive in confronting adversarial nations.

Trump has predicted that the Cuban government is ready to fall.

The Republican president did not offer any details Saturday about what level of outreach his administration has had with Cuba recently or when, but said, “We’re starting to talk to Cuba.”

His recent moves to cut off its oil supplies have squeezed the island.

In the last week, Trump signed an executive order to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba. The move put pressure on Mexico, on which Cuba became dependent for oil after Trump halted oil shipments from Venezuela following Maduro’s ouster.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that it could cause a humanitarian crisis. She said 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 his government would make some sort of deal with Cuba and said, “I think, you know, we’ll be kind.”

Price and Weissert write for the Associated Press and reported from Washington and aboard Air Force One, respectively.