Cuba denounces US 'collective punishment' as Trump predicts a deal

Cuba's foreign minister has condemned what he described as US "collective punishment" against the island, days after Washington told the United Nations that "freedom will be coming" to Cuba, according to Al Jazeera.

The comments highlight the continued tension between Havana and Washington, even as US President Donald Trump has predicted a deal could eventually be reached between the two countries.

Contrasting statements from both sides

Cuban officials have long criticized the US embargo and related measures as amounting to collective punishment of the Cuban population, a characterization that has featured prominently in Havana's diplomatic messaging at international forums including the UN.

Trump's prediction of a possible deal introduces some uncertainty into the relationship, though it remains unclear what form such an agreement might take or what conditions either side might attach to it.

Neither government has laid out detailed terms for a potential agreement, leaving the current exchange of statements as the most recent public indication of where things stand between Washington and Havana.