Donald Trump revealed that his administration is preparing to announce sanctions measures against Cuba soon, but it is still unclear whether additional measures will be applied or changes will be made to existing ones.
On 20 May 2026, Donald Trump, the U.S. president, told reporters that the U.S. government would soon make a statement about sanctions against Cuba “in the near future,” following the Justice Department’s recent announcement of charges against Raúl Castro, former Cuban president, related to the shooting down of a refugee plane in 1996.
“We will have to wait and see. We will announce this soon,” Trump said when asked how long he expected the sanctions to remain in effect.
Cuba has faced U.S. economic sanctions since 1960, and recently the U.S. began blocking oil shipments to Cuba, pushing the island nation’s energy crisis to critical levels.
When asked if Cuban citizens should prepare for any “escalation,” Trump replied, “No, there will be no escalation. I don’t think it’s necessary. Look, that country is collapsing. It’s a total disaster, and they seem to have lost control. They really have lost control in Cuba.”
Trump also praised Todd Blanche, the acting U.S. Attorney General, for prosecuting former Cuban President Raúl Castro, and said the U.S. “is paying close attention to Cuba all the time.”
“This is a big deal — I think it’s a very important moment for people, not just Cuban Americans, but also those from Cuba who want to return there and people who want to visit their families in Cuba,” he said.
Regarding CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Cuba last week, Trump said, “We have many of our people there,” including CIA agents and Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, who has family ties to Cuba.
“We have great expertise on Cuba,” Trump said. “They have been waiting for this moment for 65 years. So, let’s see what happens next.”
“In the meantime, we need to provide them with assistance. They have no means to live—no food, no electricity, no energy left. But what they definitely have is a great people.”
Source:cnn