US mulling military options in Cuba, with emphasis remaining on diplomacy — Politico

WASHINGTON, May 2. /TASS/. The White House is considering conducting a military operation in Cuba for all-out regime change, but the emphasis currently remains on diplomatic solutions, Politico reported, citing its own sources in the Donald Trump administration. According to them, Washington has been persuading Havana to conduct economic reforms, including privatizing state-run businesses, allowing more foreign investment, giving Cuban citizens better internet access and obligating the Cubans to buy American energy. The United States has signaled to Cuba that even as regime change "may have to wait," some top Cuban officials would need to step down, the newspaper added. Trump said on March 5 that Washington intends to work out a further course of action against Cuba after the completion of the military operation against Iran. Earlier, he repeatedly claimed that the Cuban government and economy were close to falling after the cessation of oil supplies to the island nation from Venezuela under pressure from the United States. On February 27, Trump said that the United States could "establish friendly control over Cuba." Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on March 13 that Havana and Washington held talks that "were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue on bilateral differences." However, the Axios portal reported in February, citing sources, that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is secretly discussing the future of the island with Raul Castro’s grandson Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro.