Rubio says chances of deal with Cuba not high

WASHINGTON, May 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday the likelihood of a negotiated agreement with Cuba is not high at the moment.

"In the meantime, we'll keep doing what we need to do," Rubio told reporters before leaving for a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden.

The United States has recently indicted Cuban Revolution leader Raul Castro in connection with the Cuban military's fatal downing of two planes 30 years ago, and sent the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean, moves seen as part of a broader pressure campaign against Cuba.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday there will not be escalation in Cuba.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Wednesday the U.S. indictment of Castro is a "political maneuver" with no legal basis, adding that Washington "is lying and manipulating the events surrounding the downing of the small planes belonging to the narco-terrorist organization Brothers to the Rescue." Enditem