Is Cuba ready to sit down and talk to the U.S. about putting our differences aside?

With Fidel Castro silenced by his ailments and on the sidelines, his brother Raul, at a Cuban military parade on Saturday, told his troops of his willingness to talk to the U.S. in an effort to end the almost half century old economic embargo put in place by the U.S. government.

During this speech he attacked American foreign policy and their involvement in the Iraq war, yet offered to end decades of hostility between the two countries.

Raul Castro 'ready' to talk to US

CUBA'S communist interim leader Raul Castro, in a shift from the tack of his ailing brother Fidel Castro, has overnight pushed for negotiations with the United States to end decades of tense ties.

"Let me take this opportunity to express our willingness to settle the long US-Cuba disagreement at the negotiating table," Raul Castro told troops at Cuba's first military parade in a decade.

"Of course, that is, as long as they accept that we are a country that does not tolerate any reduction of its independence, and based on the principles of equality, reciprocity, non interference and mutual respect," Raul Castro added, speaking before Communist Party and military leaders.

"Until that happens, after almost half a century, we are prepared to wait patiently for the moment when common sense takes root in the halls of power in Washington," Raul Castro said.

Mr Castro has been filling in for his brother Fidel, 80, since Fidel Castro - Cuba's leader since 1959 - underwent intestinal surgery in July.

The policy of willingness to talk with the United States if respected as an equal is standing Cuban policy.

But Fidel Castro has not reached out to the United States, much less publicly, on a regular basis.

And Raul Castro's timing and mentioning the negotiating table - as Cuba is consolidating its changing of the communist guard - suggests some growing autonomy on his part.

The fact that the 80-year-old Castro did not make an expected public appearance during his week long birthday celebration is an indication to many that he remains gravely ill and is very likely to never return as the leader of the Cuban people.