Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio on Wednesday, 28 May 2026 issued a sharp warning to Washington, stating that the United States has no legitimate grounds to launch a military attack on Cuba and that any such action would bring death, destruction, and misery — including casualties on the American side.

What the Cuban Diplomat Said

Fernandez de Cossio made the remarks in a post on X, responding directly to a report by US magazine Politico. “Isn’t there a lack of grounds to justify killing, maiming, and causing destruction and misery, in addition to running the certain risk of losing lives on their own side?” he wrote.

The deputy minister also accused Politico of actively encouraging Washington to go to war, and criticised the publication for reporting that the US military was fully positioned for an attack on Cuba and was only awaiting “a final go-ahead from Donald Trump.”

Pentagon Positioning and the Politico Report

According to the Politico report published on Wednesday, “the Pentagon has spent months positioning the troops and weapons needed for the United States to launch a military attack on Cuba.” The report did not cite a specific timeline but indicated readiness was in place pending a presidential decision.

Notably, on 20 May, the US Southern Command confirmed that the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group — comprising the aircraft carrier, its carrier air wing, and at least one guided-missile destroyer — had arrived in the Caribbean. That same day, the US Department of Justice indicted Cuban Revolution leader Raul Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two planes operated by the anti-Castro group Brothers to the Rescue.

Escalating US Pressure on Cuba in 2026

The military signals are part of a broader escalation. Since the start of 2026, the United States has announced a series of new punitive measures against Cuba, including restrictions targeting countries that supply oil to the island and additional sanctions against Cuban entities and officials.

International media have also reported a marked increase in US surveillance and intelligence flights near Cuba in recent weeks. This comes amid a broader pattern of Washington tightening its posture toward Havana that has intensified under the current US administration.

Regional and Diplomatic Context

The standoff represents one of the most acute moments in US-Cuba relations in years. The combination of carrier group deployment, federal indictments of senior Cuban leaders, and reported Pentagon readiness constitutes a multi-front pressure campaign that analysts say is without modern precedent in its simultaneity.

Cuba has consistently rejected US justifications for coercive action, and Fernandez de Cossio’s public statement signals that Havana is choosing visible diplomatic pushback over silence. How Washington responds — and whether the reported ‘final go-ahead’ is ever given — will shape the trajectory of Caribbean security in the months ahead.