Cuban military is ‘prepared’ for potential US aggression, deputy foreign minister says

The Cuban deputy foreign minister issued a blunt warning to the U.S. on Sunday: His island’s military is “prepared” for any U.S. aggression as the Trump administration continues to push for regime change in the country.

Speaking to NBC’s Kristen Welker in a sometimes tense interview, Carlos Fernández de Cossío said he doesn’t understand why the U.S. would attack the island — but added, “our military is always prepared. And in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression.”

“Our country has historically been ready to mobilize, as a nation as a whole, for military aggression,” Cossío said on “Meet the Press.” “We truly always see it as something far from us. We don’t believe it is something that is probable. But we would be naive if we do not prepare.”

Cossío’s warning came days after President Donald Trump spoke of “taking” Cuba.

“I do believe I’ll be the honor of — having the honor of taking Cuba. That’d be a good hon — that’s a big honor,” Trump told reporters. “I mean, whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth.”

American presidents have been hoping to see a new government in Cuba since Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Still, Cossío said on Sunday that regime change is “absolutely” off the table.

“Cuba is a sovereign country and has the right to be a sovereign country and has the right to self-determination,” he said. “Cuba would not accept to become a vassal state or a dependent state from any other country or any other superpower.”

Cuba’s economy has plummeted since the Trump administration captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January. The U.S. has cut off Venezuelan oil supplies, which are critical to propping up the island’s economy, and the nation’s transportation, health and education systems are also strained.

But the U.S.’s oil blockade is “very severe,” Cossío said, accusing the United States of threatening other countries “with coercive measures” against importing fuel to the island.

“We do hope that fuel will reach Cuba one way or the other and that this boycott that the United States has been imposing does not last and cannot be sustained forever,” Cossío said.

Though the U.S. and Havana are now in discussions, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, Cossío said those discussions do not include regime change — or the release of political prisoners.

“We are in dialogue with the United States to talk about bilateral issues. We’re not talking about prisoners in the United States, and the U.S. has the highest record of prisoners in the world,” Cossío said.

And though Rubio this week asserted that Cuba will collapse “on its own” and Havana’s leaders “don’t know how to fix” the country, Cossío insisted his country is not in any state of collapse.

“What does ‘on its own’ mean when it’s being forced by the United States? It’s a very bizarre statement,” he said. “Why does the U.S. government need to employ so many resources, so much political capital, so many human resources, to try to destroy the economy of another country? Evidently, it implies that the country does not have the characteristics to collapse on its own.”