{"id":181198,"date":"2026-03-26T22:33:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T19:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/181198\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T22:34:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T19:34:09","slug":"usa-lifts-more-sanctions-against-belarus-following-release-of-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/181198\/","title":{"rendered":"USA lifts more sanctions against Belarus following release of political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 26, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The US Department of the Treasury has removed Belarusian Potash Company, potash giant Bie\u0142aruskalij (Belaruskali) and its Kyiv-based subsidiary Agrorozkvit from its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General License No. 14, issued on March 26 by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) authorizes transactions involving the Development Bank of Belarus, Bie\u0142investbank (Belinvestbank), real estate firm Bie\u0142invest-Engineering (Belinvest-Engineering), and leasing company Bie\u0142bi\u017anie\u015blizinh (Belbizneslizing) and \u201ctransactions involving any entity in which one or more of the above persons own, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, a 50-percent or greater interest,\u201d the OFAC website<\/a> says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agency \u201chas also determined, in consultation with the U.S. Department of State, that circumstances no longer warrant the prohibitions imposed on the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Belarus and the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The license does not authorize the unblocking of any blocked property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2025, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Smith visited Minsk to assist the release of three designated political prisoners. Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump\u2019s special envoy for Ukraine, met \u0141uka\u0161enka in Minsk in June. Their talks resulted in the release of 14 prisoners, including prominent opposition figure Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In mid-August, Trump had a phone call with \u0141uka\u0161enka before meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and later praised the Belarusian ruler as a \u201cpowerful leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk released more political prisoners September 11 and December 13, 2025 following Luka\u0161enka\u2019s talks with US diplomats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, Washington lifted sanctions on Belarus\u2019 national airline Bie\u0142avija and Belarusian potash fertilizers. On December 15, the US Treasury published the general license authorizing transactions involving Belarusian Potash Company, Bie\u0142aruskalij and Agrorozkvit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 19, 2026, authorities started releasing political prisoners pardoned by Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka following his talks with John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus. Previously, political prisoners released at the request of Washington were forcibly taken out of Belarus, but this time 235 were allowed to stay in the country, with only 15 taken to Lithuania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the talks on March 19, \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s press office reported that the United States had lifted sanctions on Bie\u0142investbank and the Development Bank of Belarus, the finance ministry, Bie\u0142aruskalij and Belarusian Potash Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Washington to lift 80 percent of sanctions if Minsk frees all dissidents \u2013 Coale<\/h3>\n
March 20, Pozirk. If Minsk releases all designated political prisoners by the end of 2026, the United States will lift 80 percent of its sanctions against Belarus, John Coale, US special envoy for Belarus, told Reuters. These 80 percent of …<\/div>\n \n