The United States is exerting pressure on Ukraine to ease restrictions on imports of Belarusian potash fertilizers. In addition, Washington is urging Kyiv to ask its European partners to take a similar step. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources.
Source: Censor.NET
According to the publication, this concerns an attempt to partially revise sanctions policy regarding Belarusian potash — one of Belarus’s key export commodities before Western restrictions were imposed.
Washington reportedly believes that easing sanctions could reduce Belarus’s economic dependence on Russia and weaken the Kremlin’s influence over Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.
It is also reported that the United States has already partially lifted some of its own restrictions under informal agreements that allegedly included the release of several hundred political prisoners in Belarus.
However, US measures are not sufficient without European Union decisions, as the EU controls key logistics routes through Baltic ports needed for Belarusian fertilizer exports.
Reaction in the EU
According to Bloomberg, the issue has already sparked discussions within the European Union. In particular, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that there is diplomatic pressure from the United States on this matter.
At the same time, several EU countries, including the Baltic states, oppose easing sanctions.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda emphasized that Vilnius supports maintaining or even strengthening restrictions, as in his view Belarus has not changed its policy and continues to support Russia in the war against Ukraine.