Lula Says Trump Told Him He Had No Plan to Invade Cuba

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\r\n[The Financial News] Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, said he was told by U.S. President Donald Trump that he had "no plan to invade Cuba." The remarks are drawing attention because Trump had recently escalated pressure by even raising the possibility of taking over Cuba.
According to Brazil’s G1, Lula told reporters after the U.S.-Brazil summit in Washington, D.C., on the 7th local time that Trump said during the meeting he had no plan to invade Cuba.
Lula also said, "I hope Cuba can find a solution to end the U.S. economic blockade," adding that he is ready to work with the United States to resolve the Cuba issue.
Brazilian diplomatic sources said the summit was held as part of efforts to normalize bilateral trade relations and ease tensions.
Relations between the United States and Cuba have deteriorated sharply in recent months.
Since January, Trump has taken a hard-line approach by effectively cutting off energy supplies to Cuba, including Venezuelan crude oil. The United States is demanding that Cuba abandon its one-party Communist system and release political prisoners.
With crude oil supplies blocked, Cuba is facing a severe energy crisis. Nationwide blackouts have also deepened the country’s economic hardship.
Trump has long made harsh remarks about Cuba. In March, he called the country a "bankrupt nation with no money and no oil" and said that "taking over Cuba would be an honor and a wonderful thing."
At the end of April, he also suggested the possibility of military intervention, saying he would take control of Cuba "almost immediately" after the war with Iran ends.
In response, Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of the Republic of Cuba, has kept the door open to dialogue with the United States while maintaining that the political system and constitutional order are not subject to negotiation. He has also warned that Cuba would resist to the end if the United States were to launch military action.
The remarks have also fueled speculation that Trump may be shifting toward a strategy that combines pressure with negotiations rather than actual military action.
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km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter