WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday Cuba is asking for help and "we are going to talk," without providing any more information about U.S. plans.
Trump has heaped pressure on the Caribbean island nation since returning to office last year, and threatened that Cuba "is next" after U.S. forces captured Nicolas Maduro, the president of longtime Cuban ally Venezuela, in January.
"No Republican has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading
in one direction - down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!! In the meantime, I'm off to China!" Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump declined to give further information when speaking to reporters at the White House as he departed on a trip to China.
"Cuba is not doing well. It's a failed nation, and we'll be talking about Cuba at the right time," Trump said.
Trump has imposed fresh financial sanctions on Cuba and expanded others. His administration also has imposed a fuel blockade, curtailed U.S. travel and remittances to Cuba and sought to dissuade regional allies from contracting Cuban doctors.
Asked about planned talks, a White House official gave no details beyond Trump's comments but said: "Within a short period of time they will fall, and we will be there to help them out."
Representatives for the U.S. State Department and the Cuban government also did not respond.
Trump is traveling to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has called on the United States to immediately end its embargo and sanctions on Cuba. Trump told reporters at the White House that he expects to have a good meeting with Xi.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery, Susan Heavey and Jacob Bogage; Additional reporting by Gabriel Araujo in Sao Paulo, Editing by Doina Chiacu and Chizu Nomiyama)
