In late January, President Donald Trump signed an emergency order against Cuba, claiming that the Cuban authorities provide support to numerous nations hostile to the United States, as well as international terrorist organizations. This order highlights concerns about Cuba's intelligence collaborations, particularly with Russia and China, accusing the island of harboring the largest Russian electronic intelligence center abroad, which is believed to be focused on gathering sensitive national security information regarding the US. Furthermore, the Trump administration contends that Cuba is enhancing its military and intelligence cooperation with China, raising alarms over security implications for the US.

The order also accuses Cuba of creating a "safe environment" for the activities of terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, which the administration asserts serve as threats to US interests and allies. As a part of a broader strategy to isolate Cuba, the United States has taken various steps, aiming to diminish the influence of adversarial states in the region and challenge Cuba's longstanding relationships that contribute to its political and economic resilience.

This aggressive stance towards Cuba reflects the Trump administration's foreign policy priorities, which include adopting hardline measures against countries perceived as threats through military and humanitarian lenses. The emphasis on a potential 'friendly takeover' suggests that the administration is exploring various strategies to achieve the shift in governance in Cuba by encouraging pro-democracy movements while also destabilizing the current regime through economic and diplomatic pressure, indicating a significant intersection of US foreign relations and national security interests within the context of Cold War-era dynamics.