In a defiant first interview with a major American broadcaster, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel made it clear that he will not step down under pressure from Washington, insisting that "revolutionary surrender" is not an option for his administration.

Speaking with NBC News, the 65-year-old leader defended Cuba’s status as a sovereign nation, stating, "We have a free sovereign state, a free state. We have self-determination and independence, and we are not subjected to the designs of the United States."

He further challenged the legitimacy of US demands, adding that the American government’s hostile policies toward the island leave it with "no moral to demand anything from Cuba."

The remarks come amid an intensifying pressure campaign from Washington, which includes a virtual oil blockade and threats of tariffs against any nation selling fuel to the Caribbean island.

Cuba has been grappling with a severe energy crisis since January, following the loss of its primary oil supply from Venezuela after the ouster of Nicolas Maduro.

Tensions have been further strained by open suggestions from the Trump administration regarding a potential "takeover" of the island, a notion Diaz-Canel has previously met with vows of "unbreakable resistance."

While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has demanded significant leadership changes in Havana—citing incompetence—he has stopped short of officially calling for the President's resignation.

Despite the diplomatic friction, Diaz-Canel expressed an openness to diplomacy, provided it remains respectful of Cuba's internal affairs.

"We want to engage in dialogue and discuss any topic without any condition—not demanding changes from our political system, as we are not demanding changes from the American system," he told NBC.

Currently, talks between the two nations remain in a "very preliminary" phase, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal.

In a rare moment of eased tension last week, the US allowed a Russian tanker to unload a shipment of crude oil in Cuba, providing brief relief to the island’s energy-starved infrastructure.

Source: AFP