The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, confirmed this Thursday at a press conference at the White House that Washington is engaged in active discussions with the Cuban regime regarding potential changes in its policies, and warned that an improvement in bilateral relations depends on the decisions made by Havana.
The statements arose after a direct question from journalist Juan Esteban Silva, who asked whether Cuba was "next" on the Trump administration's agenda, following the president's announcement of the agreement with Iran on June 14.
Vance initially tried to divert the topic to the Secretary of State: "You have to ask Marco about Cuba." However, he then spoke up and provided the most explicit response that an official of his rank has given regarding the state of the negotiations.
"Fundamentally, in Cuba, there is a system that has not worked. They cannot generate wealth. Their economy is, frankly, likely in worse shape than the Iranian economy," said the vice president.
Vance also emphasized the migratory dimension of the problem for the United States: "It’s just 90 miles from our shores, so whenever there is a crisis, we end up having desperate refugees or people who can't feed their families trying to make their way to our country in large numbers."
The vice president framed Washington's position in humanitarian terms—"we want the Cuban people to be happy and successful"—but made clear the conditionality of any diplomatic progress: "In fact, we are currently speaking with the Cuban government about how they might change their behavior to transform that situation. We'll see what they do."
The final warning was clear: "If they make smart decisions, we will have a much better relationship with that island."
Vance's statements come amid a sustained escalation of U.S. pressure. On January 29, 2026, Trump signed an executive order declaring Cuba an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to national security and authorized tariffs on countries that supply it with oil.
In May, Secretary Rubio imposed sanctions on the military conglomerate GAESA and rated the likelihood of an agreement as "low."
Contacts between both governments intensified in the spring of 2026, with the visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Havana on May 14.
However, the Cuban regime acknowledged that there have been no significant advances in the negotiations: Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal admitted on May 28 that "there has not been much progress," while the regime agrees to discuss migration and trade, but rejects any conditions that would affect the one-party system.
Washington's ultimatum for the release of high-profile political prisoners expired on April 24 without result, and Díaz-Canel had threatened to break off negotiations if the United States insisted on conditions that would alter the political system.
The question of whether Cuba would be "next" after Iran gained traction in the days leading up to the press conference, although Trump shifted his focus to Ukraine during the G7 on June 16, postponing Cuba as an explicit priority on his immediate agenda.
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