President Donald Trump just pulled the plug on Cuba's most important economic relationship, and he's making no effort to be subtle about it.

Venezuela has stopped shipping oil to Cuba entirely since the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month. The oil embargo on Venezuela isn't new, but Trump's willingness to use it as leverage against Cuba definitely raises the stakes. Venezuela has been Cuba's primary oil supplier for years, and without those shipments, Havana faces some serious economic headaches.

The timing here is fascinating. While cutting off Cuba, Washington is simultaneously working on a $2 billion deal with Caracas to buy up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil. The proceeds would sit in U.S. Treasury-supervised accounts, which is basically Washington's way of keeping a very close eye on the money. It's a major test of the emerging relationship between Trump and Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez.

Trump laid out his position bluntly on Truth Social Sunday: "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

He continued with even more pointed commentary: "Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided 'Security Services' for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE! Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn't need protection anymore from the thugs."

Cuba Fires Back

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez wasn't having it. He pushed back hard, asserting Cuba's sovereign right to buy fuel from whoever's willing to sell it. He also flat-out rejected claims that Cuba received financial compensation for security services.

"Like any country, Cuba has the absolute right to import fuel from those markets willing to export it and that exercise their own right to develop their trade relations without interference or subordination to the unilateral coercive measures of EEUU. Right and justice are on Cuba's side. EEUU behaves like a criminal and uncontrolled hegemon that threatens peace and security, not only in Cuba and this hemisphere, but in the entire world," Rodriguez wrote on X.

Here's the reality on the ground: Venezuela still covers about 50% of Cuba's oil deficit, even with reduced refining capacity. That's a massive dependency. But shipping data shows Mexico has recently stepped up as an alternative supplier, which could provide Cuba some breathing room.

The broader picture is messy but important. This isn't just about oil or money. It's about reshaping geopolitical relationships across the hemisphere. Cuba's economy could take a serious hit if Venezuelan oil stays offline. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Venezuela oil deal signals a potential thaw in relations between Washington and Caracas, which would have been unthinkable just months ago.

The implications stretch beyond regional politics too. Any major shift in oil flows from Venezuela affects global supply dynamics, and how this standoff resolves could set the tone for U.S. policy toward adversarial nations more broadly.