{"id":209761,"date":"2026-10-30T14:22:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T11:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/209761\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T14:22:55","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T11:22:55","slug":"trump-pressing-lithuania-to-lift-potash-transit-ban-on-belarus-politico-says","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/209761\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump pressing Lithuania to lift potash transit ban on Belarus, Politico says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 30, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The Trump administration is pressing Lithuania to open a central Baltic Sea port to potash exports from Belarus, despite European sanctions, as the United States looks to reduce its reliance on Canada for the critical fertilizer ingredient and help drive down costs for American farmers, Politico<\/em> reported on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccording to four European officials, US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale has put out feelers with Lithuanian diplomats in recent weeks about easing its blockade on goods from Belarus, which is part of EU-wide sanctions on President Alexander Lukashenko\u2019s [Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s] government, a close ally of Russia\u2019s Vladimir Putin in the war with Ukraine,\u201d Politico<\/em> said. \u201cThe punitive measures bar EU ports from shipping Belarusian goods, but they must be extended every 12 months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania, which will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union at the beginning of the year, could in theory veto the next extension, due in February, allowing the sanctions to expire, Politico<\/em> said, expressing doubt that Vilnius would do that as Lithuania remains \u201cone of the EU\u2019s staunchest allies of Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collapse of US-Canada trade talks in August and new tit-for-tat tariff hikes have only further spurred the administration\u2019s interest in sourcing potash from Belarus, which controls around 20 percent of the world’s market, and it comes alongside a broader push by Trump to ease sanctions on Russia and its allies as he tries to nudge Moscow to end its war with Ukraine, Politico<\/em> said. However, that effort is running up against stiff resistance in Europe, where officials are deeply skeptical of giving any ground to Putin, which they believe will only further embolden the Russian autocrat and others in his orbit, like \u0141uka\u0161enka, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey are pressing politely, but we say very clearly \u2018fuck no,\u2019\u201d an Eastern European official was quoted as saying. \u201cIf Americans are not able to learn from history then we have to stand the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Politico<\/em>, two Eastern European officials said that Coale has been putting pressure on all levels of the Lithuanian government for more than a year, since Trump\u2019s envoy first visited Minsk. A second Eastern European official said that the US has been long engaged in talks about whether Belarusian potash could hit global markets through Klaipeda and other Baltic Sea ports, such as the Latvian capital of Riga, which would be an easier transport route than via Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A European official confirmed Coale had also approached Latvian counterparts on this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A State Department official declined to comment on “specific commercial transactions\u201d but noted that Belarus had recently shown “constructive engagement with the United States.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOfficials in Europe are not keen to follow Trump\u2019s course,\u201d Politico<\/em> said. \u201cBowing to U.S. pressure would be unpopular and politically fraught for both Lithuania and Latvia\u2019s leaders, after both nations saw their governing coalitions collapse earlier this year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eastern European officials also worry that easing sanctions on \u0141uka\u0161enka could give him more international legitimacy and leeway to continue imprisoning his opponents, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk and Washington have been discussing potash exports to the United States as part of their talks that have resulted in the release of hundreds of Belarusian political prisoners and the removal of some US sanctions against Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been mixed signals about the readiness of the two countries for a \u201cpotash deal,\u201d with Trump announcing on September 21 that the United States is \u201cworking on a massive deal with respect to the purchase of potash from Belarus\u201d and \u0141uka\u0161enka saying that Belarus cannot supply large volumes of potash fertilizers to the United States because its output had already been pledged to other countries under contracts for 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, a vessel laden with the first US-bound shipment of Belarusian potash in four years reportedly left Russia\u2019s Bronka port in St. Petersburg on September 15. On October 22, Belarus\u2019 permanent representative to the United Nations Valancin Rybako\u016d said that Belarus would send another shipment of potash to the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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