US pressures Ukraine to ease restrictions on imports of Belarusian potash fertilizers

The United States is putting pressure on Ukraine to ease restrictions on the import of potash fertilizers from Belarus. In addition, Washington is asking Kyiv to officially appeal to its European partners to take a similar step.

Bloomberg news agency reports this, citing its own sources.

Before the introduction of tough Western sanctions, potash fertilizers, which are used to increase crop yields, were the main source of foreign exchange earnings for the Belarusian regime.

Washington is convinced that the partial lifting of these restrictions and the resumption of exports will help to weaken Minsk’s economic dependence on the Kremlin and “distancing” Alexander Lukashenko from Moscow.

According to the publication, the United States has already lifted a number of its own restrictions. This was part of a non-public agreement, within the framework of which the Minsk regime released several hundred political prisoners.

However, American steps are not enough. Without a similar decision from the European Union, Belarus cannot use the critically important shipping routes through the terminals in the Baltic Sea. As a result, Minsk continues to be forced to rely on Russian ports and railway infrastructure.

Pressure from the United States has already been felt in the EU. In particular, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated during a closed meeting of the ruling party that his country, as well as other Baltic states, are currently under diplomatic pressure from the United States over the issue of Belarusian potash.

At the same time, European leaders are in no hurry to make concessions.

Tags: Ukraine, Belarus, fertilizers