Bloomberg: Washington pressures Kyiv over Belarus fertiliser policy

The United States is pressing Ukraine to ease restrictions on imports of potash fertilisers from Belarus and has asked Kyiv to encourage European countries to adopt a similar approach, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

Potash, a key soil nutrient used to improve agricultural yields, was previously a major source of foreign currency earnings for Belarus. However, exports have been significantly curtailed by Western sanctions imposed in response to political repression in the country and its support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The US position comes amid broader discussions over agricultural inputs and supply chains affected by sanctions regimes targeting Minsk and Moscow.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has already partially lifted restrictions on Belarusian fertiliser exports as part of agreements with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

US officials believe such steps could reduce Belarus’s dependence on Russia and contribute to normalising relations between Minsk and the West.

EU sanctions prohibit the transit of Belarusian potash through the Lithuanian port of Klaipėda.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda is reportedly in favour of maintaining the sanctions regime on Belarus.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov