Overview
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Hannover, rejected any U.S. intervention in Cuba as baseless.
- Merz said Cuba poses no discernible threat to other countries, so he sees no legal or practical case for force.
- He urged pursuit of change in Cuba through talks and peaceful pressure, rejecting the idea that military strength confers a right to invade.
- Lula opposed any invasion and cited territorial integrity, self-determination, the UN Charter, and respect for human rights.
- AFP has reported that U.S. forces seized Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in January, which helps explain why allies now highlight regional risks and press for diplomacy.