US President Donald Trump on Friday suggested that Cuba could be the next target of American military action, even as he referred to recent US operations involving Venezuela and Iran. Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Miami, Florida, Trump said, “Cuba is next, by the way—but pretend I didn’t say that. Please, please, please, media, disregard that statement. Thank you very much. Cuba’s next.”
The remarks come after the US military raided Venezuela and forcibly seized its president, Nicolás Maduro, on January 3, and launched ongoing large-scale joint attacks with Israel on Iran on February 28, according to Xinhua news agency.
Cuba has been facing a severe economic and energy crisis due to decades of US sanctions. The United Nations has warned that fuel shortages are pushing the country towards a humanitarian crisis. Earlier this month, Trump had said Cuba is likely to “fall pretty soon”, but added that his administration would focus on Iran “right now”.
Trump also sharply criticised NATO, calling it a “paper tiger” and questioning whether Washington should continue defending allies that, he said, failed to support the United States in times of need. Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative Priority Summit in Miami, he said the alliance had not backed the US when it mattered. “NATO is a paper tiger… They didn’t come to our aid,” he said.
In unusually blunt remarks, Trump suggested a reassessment of US commitments to the alliance. “Why would we be there for them if they’re not there for us?” he said, describing NATO’s response as a “tremendous mistake”. He also recounted conversations with European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, saying offers of support came only after military action had concluded. “As soon as the war is over, we will send ships,” Trump quoted Macron as saying, adding, “I don’t want them when the war is over.”
(IANS)
