April 23 (UPI) — President Miguel Díaz-Canel said any negotiations with the United States would depend on Washington accepting Cuba’s conditions, warning that otherwise “there is no negotiation.”

“We are in a very preliminary phase of what could become a broader process of talks,” the Díaz-Canel said Wednesday during an interview with Brazilian outlet Opera Mundi’s program 20 Minutos.

Díaz-Canel increased his presence in international media this month as Cuba faces a worsening energy crisis and growing pressure from Washington.

His comments came after Cuba confirmed a recent meeting in Havana between a delegation from the U.S. Department of State and officials from the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

According to USA Today, Washington gave the Cuban government a two-week deadline to release high-profile political prisoners as a gesture of good faith. Cuban officials, however, said the priority issue during the meeting was ending what Havana describes as the U.S. energy blockade against the island.

Asked whether a possible regime change in Cuba was part of the discussions, Díaz-Canel rejected the idea and said Cuba’s internal affairs would not be part of any negotiations with Washington.

He said no talks would occur under imposed conditions and insisted that any dialogue must be based on equality, respect for sovereignty and reciprocity.

The Cuban president added that rapprochement with the United States would not be simple or immediate, but said Havana remained open to discussions conducted under mutual respect.

Díaz-Canel also accused the United States of historically acting as an aggressor toward Cuba, while warning that the island was prepared to defend itself if necessary.

During a recent public event in Havana, he said his government was seeking a diplomatic solution with Washington, but that Cuba was “ready” to confront any military aggression.

As tensions with the United States increased, the Cuban government also released a message from former President Raúl Castro calling on the country to “firmly confront any enemy aggression.”

In the message, published by state media, Castro praised the role of the Eastern Army in defending the Cuban Revolution. He recalled a statement by his late brother, Fidel Castro, who said that saving eastern Cuba meant saving the Revolution.

Raúl Castro also highlighted the military history of the Eastern Army, its international missions and its readiness to respond to external threats. He honored fallen soldiers and urged the armed forces to remain prepared against any hostile attack.

The last public appearance by Raúl Castro came during a tribute ceremony before the funeral of 32 Cuban military personnel killed in the operation in which the United States detained Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

The ceremony was held Jan. 15. Castro, who turns 95 in May, appeared visibly older than during his previous public appearance at Cuba’s National Assembly in late 2025, according to Cuban digital outlet 14ymedio.