Donald Trump (The Palestine Telegraph Newspaper) February 01,
2026 – President Donald Trump said the United States has begun communicating
with Cuban leaders as his administration tightens pressure on the island, including
cutting off key oil supplies from Venezuela and Mexico. He linked recent oil
restrictions and new tariff measures to an effort to push Havana towards
negotiations with Washington. Trump did not provide details on the level or
timing of the contact but suggested the Cuban government could be forced to the
negotiating table under growing economic strain. Mexico’s president has warned
the measures risk creating a humanitarian crisis in Cuba and has vowed to look
for ways to continue supplying the island.
The United States is intensifying economic pressure on Cuba,
with President Donald Trump stating that Washington is
“starting to talk to Cuba”
while simultaneously moving to restrict the island’s access
to oil. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday night as he
travelled to Florida, Trump indicated that recent moves targeting Cuban energy
supplies were designed to increase leverage over the country’s leadership.
Trump links oil cuts to push for Cuba talks
Trump said his administration had taken steps in recent
weeks to cut off supplies of oil reaching Cuba from Venezuela and Mexico,
measures he suggested would compel Havana to engage in talks with the United
States.
“We’re starting to talk to Cuba,”
Trump told reporters, without specifying which Cuban
officials were involved or what format the contacts were taking.
He characterised the pressure campaign as part of a broader effort to confront foreign governments perceived as adversaries of the United States. Trump has shifted more attention to Cuba since early January, following his administration’s capture of Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro and actions aimed at reconfiguring relationships with governments in the region.
Executive order targets oil suppliers to Cuba
In the past week, Trump signed an executive order imposing a
tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a measure
that directly affects Mexico. The order followed an earlier decision to halt
oil shipments from Venezuela, which had been a primary supplier to Cuba before
Maduro’s removal.
After Venezuelan oil was cut off, Cuba became increasingly
dependent on Mexican supplies, making Mexico a central focus of the new
restrictions. The tariff mechanism is intended to raise the economic cost for
countries that continue to provide oil to Cuba, thereby amplifying the pressure
on Havana’s access to fuel.
Mexico warns of risk of humanitarian crisis
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly criticised
the new US measures, warning that the restrictions on oil supplies could
trigger a humanitarian crisis in Cuba. Sheinbaum said on Friday that her
government would seek alternatives to continue assisting Cuba, indicating
Mexico’s intention to maintain some form of support despite the added US
pressure.
Her comments underscore the potential wider regional impact
of US policy changes toward Cuba and its energy sources. While Sheinbaum
acknowledged the risk posed by the new tariffs, she also signalled that Mexico
would attempt to navigate around the measures to sustain its cooperation with
Havana.
Trump predicts fall of Cuban government and future deal
Trump has predicted that the Cuban government is “ready to
fall”, positioning the tightening of oil supplies and trade pressure as factors
that could accelerate political change on the island. He suggested that the
expanding economic strain would eventually push Cuban leaders to seek a
negotiated arrangement with Washington.
“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, adding that
“Cuba would be free again”.
He indicated that he expected “some sort of deal” to be
reached with Cuba and said,
“I think, you know, we’ll be kind,”
but he did not outline specific conditions or proposals
under discussion.
Limited detail on scope of US–Cuba contacts
Despite saying the United States was “starting to talk to
Cuba”, Trump did not provide concrete information about the scope, timing, or
format of the outreach. He did not clarify whether communication had taken
place at diplomatic, intelligence, or other levels, nor did he specify which
issues were on the table.
The absence of detail leaves key questions open regarding
the nature of any emerging channel between Washington and Havana. Trump’s
remarks suggested that the outreach is in an early stage and closely tied to
the broader pressure strategy focused on oil and trade measures.
Intensified focus on Cuba after shift in Venezuela
Trump’s comments come after a period in which his administration has moved more aggressively against governments regarded as opponents of US policy in the Western Hemisphere. In early January, US authorities captured Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro, a development that significantly altered the political landscape in Caracas and affected Cuba’s external support arrangements.
The halt of Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba following
Maduro’s capture forced Havana to seek alternative suppliers, with Mexico
emerging as a critical source. The subsequent US tariff order aimed at
countries supplying oil to Cuba further narrowed those options, adding to the
economic pressure on the island’s energy sector.
Impact on Cuba’s energy supplies and economy
The combination of halted Venezuelan shipments and US
tariffs on countries providing oil to Cuba has reduced the island’s access to
fuel, according to Trump’s description of the situation. He said his recent
moves to cut off oil supplies had “squeezed the island”, implying that energy
shortages could intensify.
Such constraints are likely to strain key sectors that rely
on fuel, including transport, electricity generation, and public services.
While Trump framed the pressure as a means to encourage negotiations,
Sheinbaum’s warning highlighted concerns that ordinary Cubans could bear the
brunt of any resulting shortages.
Regional and international reactions and next steps
Mexico’s stated intention to seek alternatives for assisting
Cuba indicates that at least one regional government is exploring ways to
respond to the new US measures. Sheinbaum has not provided detailed plans on
how Mexico might maintain support while managing the impact of US tariffs,
leaving the practical contours of any workaround unclear.
Trump, meanwhile, has maintained that the United States is
prepared to engage with Cuba under conditions shaped by his administration’s
pressure strategy. He has not announced any formal timetable for talks, nor any
specific diplomatic framework, but has repeatedly suggested that an agreement
with Havana is possible in the context of continued economic leverage.