Trump Predicts US and Cuba Will Make a Deal

Cuban American leaders backed President Donald Trump's warning to Cuba this week during his United Nations address.

President Donald Trump predicted on Saturday, September 26, 2026, that the United States and Cuba will reach an agreement and that he does not think military action will be necessary. He told reporters at the White House, "I would say that Cuba and us will make a deal. I don't think we'll need the military."

In an address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump called Cuba a failed state and said freedom will be coming to the island nation. The Cuban delegation walked out of the hall during that speech. The Trump administration has openly stated its goal is to change Cuba's government. An US-imposed oil blockade implemented earlier this year has put Cuba under severe strain, leading to fuel shortages and blackouts exacerbated by failing infrastructure.

The US has maintained a trade embargo on Cuba for more than 60 years. The administration has been stepping up pressure after using the military in January to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at the UN later on Saturday that Cuba will always be open for dialogue with the United States.

He stated, "We are open to commercial and business relationships with US companies, just as we are with any other country," while also strongly condemning the US trade embargo on Cuba. China pushed back against the United States in its UN speech on Saturday, urging the relevant country to stop threatening Cuba and lift its blockade.

Russia also called for lifting the Cuba blockade and urgent humanitarian measures. Florida state Representative Juan Porras, a descendant of Cuban exiles, told the Daily Signal that "Cuba is absolutely a failed state" and that President Trump is applying more pressure than any administration in history, which is working. The specific terms or timeline for a potential deal between the US and Cuba are not detailed.