Cuba does not have a formal dialogue table with the United States as tensions rise after President Donald Trump threatened new measures tied to Cuba’s access to petroleum, a senior Cuban official said Monday. Vice foreign minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío told The Associated Press that while both governments exchange messages through informal channels, Cuba is not sitting down with Washington in a structured format.
In the interview, Fernández de Cossío said Cuba’s communications with the United States cover the “usual” topics of migration and drugs, rather than negotiations over a broader diplomatic agenda. Asked directly whether Cuba has a dialogue table with the United States “today,” he replied: “Si me preguntan si hoy tenemos una mesa de diálogo (con Estados Unidos), no la tenemos,” according to the AP interview text.
At the same time, Fernández de Cossío said Cuba remains willing to maintain what he described as informal dialogue with Washington to discuss “las diferencias,” while saying Cuba would do so while respecting the island’s political model. He also characterized Cuba as seeking a normal relationship with the United States, describing it as an “exception” in how other countries relate to the island. “Cuba es un país pacífico,” he said, adding: “Solo deseamos relacionarnos con Estados Unidos como nos relacionamos con el resto del mundo. Estados Unidos es la excepción hoy.”
The U.S. pressure that prompted the Cuban response came after Trump signed an executive order last week threatening tariffs on goods from countries that “se atrevieran a vender o entregar petróleo a Cuba,” a shift aimed at tightening sanctions against the island. The AP report also says Trump suggested the U.S. had already begun a conversation with Cuban leaders as the U.S. tries to cut Cuba’s oil supply from Venezuela and Mexico.
Fernández de Cossío addressed how long Cuba can endure the current situation, pointing to the economic crisis on the island, including severe electricity outages and shortages. When asked about possible ways Cuba could ensure continued oil supply under the pressure, he said he could not reveal “ninguna vía” the island has to guarantee oil. He added that Cuba is preparing “con creatividad, con estoicismo y con austeridad,” as described in the AP interview.
The AP report cited Cuban authorities’ estimates that Cuba produces only about 40% of the crude oil it needs for its economy and that, until early January, it depended on imports from Venezuela, Mexico and Russia. It also said the intensity of the sanctions caused Cuba losses of $7.556 billion for the March 2024 to February 2025 cycle, which the report said represented a 49% increase compared with the prior comparable period. Over the last six years, the AP report said Cuba lost 15% of its gross domestic product, contributing to strong migration flows.
In parallel with the diplomacy comments, the AP report said Russia and Mexico announced potential support. Russia’s embassy in Cuba said Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and Russia’s Sergei Lavrov held a phone call after the U.S. tariff decision. In a post on X, the embassy said both sides expressed “la firme disposición a continuar brindando a Cuba el apoyo político y material,” without providing details on the aid.
On Sunday, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico would send food and humanitarian aid to Cuba and said her government is trying to resolve “de manera diplomática todo lo que tenga que ver con el envío de petróleo.” The AP report said Sheinbaum added that Mexico’s Navy would handle the shipment of cooperation and expressed concern about how the situation could affect Cuba, noting that Mexico also has complicated relations with the United States amid negotiations over renewing the North American trade framework with Canada.
The AP report also described unrest tied to a U.S. diplomatic visit. Video posted on social media showed Cubans in Camagüey reacting angrily during a weekend visit by U.S. chargé d’affaires Mike Hammer. The AP account says Hammer has been traveling around the island and posting videos about meetings with Cubans, including visits to the homes of dissidents, and stating opposition to the Cuban government. During the Camagüey visit, the AP report said a group of residents shouted: “¡Abajo el bloqueo!” and also used insults including “Terrorista,” “¡Asesino!” and “¡Marioneta de Trump!”
Following the visit, the U.S. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs demanded Monday that Cuba “detuviera sus actos represivos de enviar individuos para interferir en el trabajo diplomático de Hammer y otros miembros de la Embajada,” according to the AP report. The AP article added that its reporter Dánica Coto contributed to the reporting.