September 21, Pozirk. Belarus cannot supply large volumes of potash fertilizers to the United States because its entire 2026 output is already committed under contracts with other countries, Alaksandar Łukašenka has said.
“Even if we wanted to supply other Western markets, we simply don’t have those volumes as everything is already contracted,” his press office quoted him as saying during a meeting with Uładzimir Arłoŭski, head of the State Customs Committee.
Minsk and Washington have discussed possible potash deliveries as part of a deal involving the release of political prisoners. However, the negotiations stalled, primarily over Lithuania’s refusal to allow transit of Belarusian potash, which is banned under European Union sanctions.
Eighty-five percent of Belarusian exports and imports are currently shipped east, primarily to China and other Asian countries, as well as Russia, Arłoŭski told Łukašenka.
On September 16, Minsk freed 25 Belarusian regime critics following talks between Łukašenka and John Coale, the US special envoy for Belarus, in exchange for Washington lifting sanctions on Biełlesbumpram and Łakafarba, Belarusian producers of wood products and paints, respectively.
Coale had reportedly hoped to secure the release of 200 to 300 jailed regime critics, while Łukašenka said he was open to both “small and grand bargains” with the US president, including shipments of Belarusian potash fertilizers.
During his previous visit to Minsk in March, Coale secured the release of 250 political prisoners. Fifteen were taken out of the country, while the rest were allowed to stay in Belarus.
