President Trump Hasn't Done Anything Yet.. Perhaps, That's All He Needs To Do; Did Cuba Just Blink?

Mr. Donald J. Trump, the business executive, the candidate for the nomination of the Republican Party, the nominee of the Republican Party, the winner of the presidency... during each moment delivered statements about the Republic of Cuba. 

The following might reflect what he was thinking:

"During the campaign, I made statements about my intentions relating to Cuba.  During the transition, I made statements about my intentions relating to Cuba.  Since the inauguration, I have made statements about my intentions relating to Cuba.  However, I have not done anything.

Simply with my statements, the government of Cuba has been impacted.  Governments and companies and financial institutions in other countries (an in the United States) have remained hesitant to engage with Cuba or to announce new engagements.

See how much can happen when I don’t do anything; now see what happens when I do something."

Yesterday, the anticipation of his actions resulted in the government of the Republic of Cuba being proactive, in a (valid) fearful way....

12 June 2017: Washington (CNN) The Cuban government is signaling it is willing to enter into detailed negotiations with the Trump administration as the White House prepares to announce an expected rollback of former President Barack Obama's normalization of relations with the island.

Cuban President Raul Castro is open to a brokering a new agreement with President Donald Trump, a high-level Cuban government official told CNN.  "We know they have a different view of the world. We understand that," the Cuban official said of Havana's posture toward new negotiations.

A separate Cuban government official pointed to comments made by Raul Castro in January.

"I wish to express Cuba's willingness to continue negotiating pending bilateral issues with the United States, on the basis of equality, reciprocity and respect for the sovereignty and independence of our country, and to continue the respectful dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest with the new government of President Donald Trump," Castro said in a speech delivered less than one week after Trump was sworn into office.

Nearly five months later, the Cuban government has yet to hear what would constitute a "better deal" for Trump, the Cuban official said.

Havana, however, does not expect the Trump administration to completely reverse the Obama administration policy and shutter the US Embassy in the Cuban capital.  That would be the "nuclear option," the Cuban official said.

The official raised concerns about news reports indicating the Trump administration would clamp down on travel to the island for Americans, a measure that would inflict more economic pain on cash-strapped Cubans who are benefiting from increased US tourism to Cuba.  Such a move, the Cuban official cautioned, could destabilize improved US-Cuban relations.

Either the US and Cuba will continue to normalize relations or not, the official added.  "You cannot be half-pregnant," the official said.

Another possible route for the Trump administration could be a return to restrictions on American purchases of Cuban cigars and rum that existed before the Obama administration.  "We will sell them to somebody else," the official said.