During the call, Trump brushed aside concerns about the impact of war with Iran on gasoline prices and U.S. ammunition supplies, and stressed that a military attack is popular among voters. Many polls show the opposite, Politico notes, but Trump insists that “people are excited about what's happening.”
He predicts that the Iranian government will not be the last to break in the conflicts initiated by Trump: “Cuba will fall too.” According to him, the situation on the island has worsened as a result of pressure from the United States.
“This is because of my intervention, because of the intervention that is now happening. We are cutting off all the oil, all the money, everything that came from Venezuela, which was the only source. And they want to make a deal,” the US President said.
Trump also confirmed that the United States is in contact with Cuba's communist leadership as instability on the island increases following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
“They need help. We are negotiating with Cuba,” Trump said.
Context
After Maduro's takeover, Trump wrote that Cuba had lived on “large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela for years” but that Venezuela now “has the United States.” The head of the White House “strongly recommended” Cuba “make an agreement before it's too late.” In response, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that the United States would not dictate to Cuba what it should do.
The media wrote that the US strive to change the communist regime in Cuba by the end of the year. In particular, Washington intends to weaken it by cutting off the supply of oil that provides Cuba with electricity. Economists estimate that Cuba could be left without oil for several weeks, leading to a complete shutdown of the economy.
January 30 in Cuba declared a state of emergency after Trump threatened to isolate the island from oil supplies.
European diplomats have warned that the US pressure campaign against the Cuban government could trigger a humanitarian crisis on the island of about 10 million people, leading to mass exodus or even famine. reported Bloomberg.
In late February, Trump said the United States could commit a “friendly takeover” of Cuba.
