Donald Trump calls Cuba "an absolutely failed state" at UN General Assembly

At the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22, President Donald Trump delivered a critical assessment of Cuba’s condition, prompting Cuban diplomats to leave the hall. Four days later, at the White House, he told reporters he believed Washington and Havana would reach an agreement and did not expect military force to be necessary. His comments followed a question about reported activation of U.S. reserve units tied to Cuba. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, speaking at the UN the same day, said the U.S. fuel blockade was punishing the population and that Havana was prepared for dialogue grounded in equal sovereignty and free of prior conditions. China’s Vice President Han Zheng urged the U.S. to end its blockade. The island has faced severe fuel shortages and repeated grid failures; no deal terms, timetable, or confirmed talks have been announced.