US lifts sanctions on Belarusian potash
Photo: self-proclaimed leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (GettyImages)
The United States has decided to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash. This was announced by US Special Envoy for Belarus John Cole, citing BELTA.
According to him, the decision was made in line with instructions from US President Donald Trump.
"The United States is lifting sanctions on potash. I think this is a very good step by the US toward Belarus. We are lifting them now," Cole told journalists.
He also noted that dialogue between the two sides on sanctions will continue. According to the US representative, as relations between the United States and Belarus normalize, further easing of restrictions is possible. Cole expressed hope that sanctions could eventually be fully lifted.
The US imposed sanctions on the state-owned company Belaruskali in August 2021. Before the sanctions were introduced, potash fertilizers were Belarus's key export commodity, accounting for more than 20% of the country’s total exports. In addition, Belarus held around 20% of the global potash fertilizer market.
Earlier, we reported that the UK government had imposed new sanctions on Belarus. The sanctions list included six individuals and three companies. The measures targeted officials responsible for serious human rights violations and companies in Belarus’s defense sector that support Russia’s war against Ukraine.
