• Cuba confirmed recent talks with a U.S. delegation in Havana.
• The discussions were described as respectful and devoid of threats.
• Cuba stressed the urgent need to end the U.S. energy blockade.
• The U.S. negotiated several conditions for continued talks, including human rights concerns.
• International leaders have called for dialogue amid heightened tensions.

A senior Cuban diplomat confirmed that recent talks in Havana with U.S. officials were conducted in a "respectful and professional" manner, despite rising tensions over President Donald Trump's energy blockade. Alejandro Garcia, the foreign ministry's director of Cuba-US affairs, emphasized that both sides engaged without any threats or imposed deadlines during their meeting, which involved U.S. assistant secretaries and Cuba's deputy foreign minister, according to South China Morning Post and Le Monde.

Discussions revolved around pressing issues for Cuba, particularly the "top priority" of ending the three-month-old U.S. oil blockade, which has severely affected the nation's economy. Garcia accused the U.S. of utilizing "blackmail" tactics against countries that export oil to Cuba, defining these actions as economic coercion unjustly affecting the Cuban populace. This sentiment was reiterated in reports from Al Jazeera and Le Monde.

The meetings, reportedly the first since 2016, also highlighted U.S. conditions for further negotiations, including calls for the release of political prisoners and changes to Cuba's political and economic systems. "The entire exchange was conducted with respect," Garcia noted, countering U.S. reports of an ultimatum during the discussions, according to South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.

International leaders have expressed concern regarding the escalating situation in Cuba, urging a sincere and respectful dialogue to prevent further humanitarian crises exacerbated by the U.S. actions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz commented that there is no justification for military intervention, recognizing the right of nations to maintain their political systems, as reported by South China Morning Post and Le Monde.