Cuba condemns US oil blockade at UN as Trump predicts a deal

Cuba's foreign minister has condemned the United States' oil blockade against the island during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Bruno Rodriguez described the measure as an act of collective punishment and said it was intended to trigger a humanitarian crisis. His remarks came as tensions between Washington and Havana remained high, with Donald Trump saying he expects the two countries to reach an agreement.

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Rodriguez told delegates that Cuba remained open to talks with the US, but only on the basis of sovereign equality and without preconditions. He said Havana had always been prepared for dialogue with the US government in order to try to resolve bilateral differences. He also warned that any US military action would cause major destruction, adding that he hoped such a scenario would never happen.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, said he believed Cuba and the US would make a deal and that military action would not be needed. He said Cuba was failing badly and added that Washington wanted to help the country. Earlier in the week, he had called Cuba an absolutely failed state during his own UN address, prompting Cuba's delegation to walk out.

The dispute matters because it sits at the intersection of sanctions, diplomacy and Cuba's worsening economic strain. The US has maintained an economic embargo on Cuba for more than 60 years, and the Trump administration has also imposed an oil blockade this year, according to the report. Cuban officials say the restrictions have deepened fuel shortages and blackouts and have made it harder to provide food and other basic needs.

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The issue also has a wider international dimension. The report says countries including Brazil, Mexico and Pakistan have criticised the embargo and the new oil blockade, calling for an end to unilateral economic restrictions on Cuba. It also notes that since 1992 the UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly backed an annual resolution calling for the US embargo to be lifted, underscoring the long-running nature of the dispute.

What remains unclear is whether the latest exchange will lead to any direct talks or a change in policy. Rodriguez said dialogue was possible, but only without preconditions, while Trump suggested a deal could be reached. The next developments to watch are whether Washington and Havana open any formal channel and whether the pressure on Cuba's fuel supply and wider economy changes in the coming days.

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