WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Saturday he does not expect U.S. military action against Cuba, even as news reports surfaced that the U.S. Army has been assessing what forces could be made available for a possible operation under Southern Command within months.
“I would say that Cuba and the U.S. will make a deal,” Trump told reporters Saturday morning outside the White House, according to USA Today. “I don’t think we’ll need the military. Cuba is failing very badly. We want to help Cuba. We want to open Cuba up to our people.”
The remarks came after a reporter asked about rumors that U.S. military units had been activated in relation to Cuba. Earlier last week, at the U.N. General Assembly, Trump said his administration was “seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba” and pledged that the country “will fall.” “Communism will never be coming to America, but freedom will be coming to Cuba,” he said on Sept. 22. The Cuban delegation protested the remarks by standing up and walking out during his speech.
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in negotiations with Cuba, amid a U.S. pressure campaign against the island nation highlighted by restricted oil shipments. In March, the president said he believed he would have “the honor of taking Cuba,” telling reporters: “Whether I free it, take it — I think I could do anything I want with it.”
Separately, CBS News reported that it reviewed an internal Army Reserve memo seeking feedback from subordinate commands on the possible availability of six types of formations — including military police, medical teams and logistics units — that could “possibly [be] needed in 90-120 days” under U.S. Southern Command. The memo does not mention Cuba, identify troop numbers or specify an operation, and there is no indication that units have received deployment orders, according to the reports. The Army Reserve did not respond to CBS’ request for comment, while a Southern Command spokesperson said the command “continuously coordinates with the Joint Force to assess a range of potential requirements.”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has accused Washington of “aggression” and “economic warfare” as tensions spike. Legal analysts note that the available public record does not establish an express U.S. ultimatum to Cuba or an announced intention to invade.