Washington, Feb 6 : The White House brushed aside public skepticism from Cubaâ??s leadership about US-Cuba talks, saying President Donald Trump remains open to diplomacy and suggesting engagement is already underway.

A reporter cited remarks by Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, who said Cuba would engage in dialogue with the United States â??only without pressure, without preconditions, on equal footing and with respect for sovereignty,â?? while his government denied Trumpâ??s claim that talks were already taking place.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded with a sharp warning aimed at Havana. â??I think the fact that the Cuban government is on its last leg and its country is about to collapse, they should be wise in their statements directed towards the president of the United States,â?? she said.

Leavitt then reiterated Trumpâ??s posture. â??But as I just reiterated, the president is always willing to engage in diplomacy,â?? she said.

She went further, asserting that engagement is happening now. â??And I believe that's something that is taking place, in fact, with the Cuban government,â?? Leavitt said.

Leavitt did not identify the channel for the talks or any topics on the agenda. She also did not address Díaz-Canelâ??s demand for â??no preconditions,â?? beyond repeating that Trump favors diplomacy.

The exchange came during a wide-ranging briefing in which the White House addressed multiple national security issues, with Leavitt repeatedly emphasizing the administrationâ??s preference to engage â?? but on its terms.

The US and Cuba have had a long, often tense relationship marked by decades of sanctions and periodic shifts in engagement. Diplomatic ties were formally restored in the mid-2010s, but many restrictions remained, and policy has moved back and forth across administrations.

Cubaâ??s ongoing economic strain and political pressures have repeatedly shaped the pace and tone of bilateral contacts, including migration-related coordination and limited diplomatic engagement.

/IANS