US may make a deal on Cuba, Trump says
ON AIR FORCE ONE, Jan 31 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he believed the United States would “make a deal” on Cuba.
His comments came days after he threatened tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba.
Trump reiterated his call for Cuba to negotiate with the United States.
“This doesn’t have to be a humanitarian crisis,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida.
“I think they’ll probably come to us and want to make a deal… They have a very bad situation for Cuba. They have no money. They have no oil. They’re living off Venezuela’s money and oil, and none of that is coming anymore.”
In 2025, Venezuela was Cuba’s largest oil supplier, meeting about a third of the island’s daily needs. Supply from Venezuela plummeted after the US imposed a blockade on shipments from there, even before the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Reuters exclusively reported in January that Mexico, Cuba’s biggest supplier after Venezuela cut off shipments in December, was reviewing whether to continue sending oil out of fear it could face retaliation from Washington.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt on Air Force One; Writing by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Sonali Paul)
