HAVANA — Cuba and the United States have begun early-stage talks involving former President Raúl Castro and current President Miguel Díaz-Canel with U.S. State Department officials to address Cuba's power grid crisis and Trump-era oil restrictions.

Díaz-Canel said that his officials and U.S. State Department officials held recent talks. "A process of conversations that leads to an agreement is a long process," Díaz-Canel said. "First, we must build a channel for dialogue." Díaz-Canel said that the talks are being handled collectively by the Cuban government.

Cuba is experiencing nationwide blackouts caused by a deteriorating power grid. In the last week, Cuba experienced two nationwide blackouts that left millions without electricity as the power grid deteriorates.

President Donald Trump implemented an oil blockade on Cuba. In late January, President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba. Cuba has not received fuel shipments in the past three months. President Donald Trump tightened sanctions on Cuba further and opposed the 2014 policy of re-establishing diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States.

On Wednesday, United Nations officials called for urgent solutions to the crisis in Cuba. Francisco Pichón, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Cuba, said that if Cuba's fuel reserves continue to decline the crisis could accelerate and possibly result in loss of lives.

United Nations officials said fuel needs to enter Cuba and identified solar power as a potential solution to power schools, hospitals, and irrigation in Cuba.

The current talks follow previous diplomatic engagement between the two countries. In 2014, Raúl Castro led talks with former U.S. President Barack Obama. The 2014 talks between Cuba and the United States led to the reopening of embassies and the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States.

Raúl Castro succeeded his brother, Fidel Castro, as President of Cuba and was 94 years old. Díaz-Canel became President of Cuba in 2018.