UN Ambassador Mike Waltz says Cuba’s regime poses a ‘national security threat,’ cites China and Russia intelligence activity

United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz said in a Sunday interview that Cuba’s regime “is a national security threat,” as the Trump administration continues to highlight heightened tensions involving the Caribbean island nation. Speaking on Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo program, Waltz framed Cuba’s government as a factor in U.S. national security planning and said foreign powers are monitoring U.S. military locations in Cuba.

Waltz’s remarks tied Cuba to intelligence collection by other countries. He accused China and Russia of “collecting information around our military bases in Cuba,” arguing that the activity increases risks for the United States and underscores the need for an active U.S. posture toward Havana’s government.

The ambassador’s comments were delivered in the context of ongoing policy focus on Cuba. The Hill reported that Waltz’s statement reflected the Trump administration’s approach to Cuba and its emphasis on security risks in the region.

Waltz also characterized Cuba’s regime itself as the underlying driver of the threat. Rather than limiting his remarks to any single incident, he described the government broadly as posing national security harm, an assessment that can shape how the U.S. government talks about enforcement and diplomatic pressure tied to Cuba.

The Hill reported that Waltz made the remarks during his interview with Bartiromo. The segment served as an opportunity for the UN ambassador to publicly reiterate the administration’s concerns about Cuba and the role of additional foreign actors, including the alleged intelligence-gathering activity.

While Waltz did not, in The Hill’s account, provide specific new evidence, dates, or classified details, his statement indicated that the administration is continuing to treat Cuba not only as a bilateral relationship issue but also as part of a wider national security landscape affecting U.S. military exposure.

For the U.S. government, the practical effect of such public statements can be tied to diplomatic messaging and interagency coordination, including how the administration explains the rationale for enforcement actions, sanctions-related policy, and regional posture. The remarks also keep Cuba and related intelligence concerns in the national conversation through a high-visibility platform.

Next steps in terms of policy are not detailed in the report. However, the public framing by a senior U.S. official suggests the administration is likely to continue centering security considerations in its engagement with Cuba and in its efforts to address what it describes as information collection by strategic competitors around U.S. military bases in the region.