WASHINGTON — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has announced that Cuba is on high alert for a possible attack from the United States, expressing his readiness to resist President Trump even at the cost of his life.

Since December, the U.S. has implemented a blockade against Venezuela as part of Operation Southern Spear, effectively disrupting oil supplies to Cuba and deepening the country’s energy crisis.

“I don’t believe there is any justification for the United States to carry out a military assault on Cuba, nor for them to engage in a surgical strike or a presidential abduction,” Díaz-Canel stated during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, according to a translation.

“Should such an event occur, we will fight and struggle to defend ourselves. If it means dying, we are prepared to do so, as our national anthem proclaims, ‘to die for the homeland is to live.'”

The Trump administration has reportedly communicated to Cuba’s communist regime that Díaz-Canel’s leadership must end, as noted by the New York Times.

Díaz-Canel, the first leader outside of the Castro family since the Cuban Revolution, has firmly refused to relinquish his position.

“I have no fear. I am willing to give my life for the revolution,” he claimed. “I wouldn’t like that to be the attitude of the US government.”

Cuba has endured an increase in blackouts in recent weeks as concerns flare that its food supplies are running dangerously low. Experts have noted that many of those issues predated the blockade, but have acknowledged that it has gotten worse since the US cut off crude exports to Cuba.

“We have the accumulated effects of the blockades, plus the effect of the tightening of the blockade, and now the effects are caused by this energy blockade. And I can say this responsibly to you, this is not the fault of the Cuban government,” Díaz-Canel said.

“We conduct very self-critical analysis and assessments of our reality, and we’re trying to constantly transform and change what we do in order to improve what we do.”

Díaz-Canel called the prospect of cutting a deal with the US “very difficult” and pointed to the strikes against Iran during negotiations over its nuclear program as evidence that America can’t be trusted.

The US has demanded that Cuba release its political prisoners, allow multi-party elections and permit a free press.

The Cuban leader denied receiving those demands and emphasized that fundamental reforms to his country’s government “are not under negotiations.”

Cuba has faced widespread protests and riots due to the growing energy and food crisis, prompting a brutal crackdown from its repressive government.