World

Top US, Cuban military leaders meet at Guantanamo Bay

By AAP Newswire

May 31, 2026

Cuban flag — Cuba's defence ministry says a "positive meeting" has taken place with a senior US general. -AP

Senior US and Cuban generals have held a rare meeting at Guantanamo Bay, both sides have confirmed after reports of a potential upcoming military escalation between the two countries.

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The head of US Southern Command (Southcom) General Francis Donovan met the chief of the general staff of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Roberto Legra Sotolongo at the US military base on Cuba.

During "a brief exchange" with Legra and other representatives of the Cuban armed forces, "operational security issues" were discussed, the US military said in a post on X.

A Cuban defence ministry statement said that the "positive meeting" had taken place by mutual agreement and that the discussion covered issues relevant to both sides.

The statements come days after news site Axios reported Cuba has bought more than 300 military drones.

Cuba reportedly began discussing plans to use the drones for attacks on the US base at GuantÃ¡namo Bay, on US military ships and possibly on Key West in the US state of Florida, the report said.

Cuba rejected the reports but reaffirmed its right to self-defence in the event of a US attack.