Cuba is moving away from long-standing economic rules by approving a package of free-market reforms, a shift some observers describe as historic. However, the process does not lead to immediate progress in relations with the United States. According to reports, talks between Cuba and the U.S. are at a standstill despite the reforms, indicating limited momentum toward lifting or easing U.S. pressure. The Trump administration is described as continuing to maintain sanctions, signalling that it does not plan to back down while negotiations remain unresolved. The two-part development—Cuba’s internal liberalisation measures and the continued U.S. sanctions posture—creates a situation in which domestic changes in Cuba have not translated into a near-term shift in U.S. policy. In the current account, the central issue is that the U.S. sanctions approach remains in place even as Cuba adjusts its economic framework, while both sides fail to reach sufficient agreement to restart talks or produce tangible outcomes.