US pressures Ukraine and Baltic states to ease sanctions against Belarus - Bloomberg
The United States is pressuring Ukraine to ease restrictions on potash fertilizer imports from Belarus. In addition, Washington is asking Kyiv to officially appeal to its European partners to take a similar step.
This is reported by the Bloomberg news agency, citing its own sources, according to Censor.NET.
Washington's Motivation: An Attempt to Drive a Wedge Between Minsk and Moscow
Before the imposition of tough Western sanctions, potash fertilizers—used to boost crop yields—were the main source of foreign exchange earnings for the Belarusian regime.
Washington is convinced that partially lifting these restrictions and resuming exports will help reduce Minsk’s economic dependence on the Kremlin and "distance" Alexander Lukashenko from Moscow.
According to the publication, the U.S. has already lifted a number of its own restrictions. This was part of a non-public agreement under which the Minsk regime released several hundred political prisoners.
However, the measures taken by the United States are not enough. Without a similar decision from the European Union, Belarus cannot use the shipping routes through terminals in the Baltic Sea, which are of critical importance to it. As a result, Minsk remains forced to rely on Russian ports and railway infrastructure.
The Baltic States' Response
The EU has already felt pressure from the United States. In particular, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated during a closed-door meeting of the ruling party that his country, as well as the other Baltic states, are currently under diplomatic pressure from the U.S. over the issue of Belarusian potash.
At the same time, European leaders are in no hurry to make concessions:
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Lithuania's Position: President Gitanas Nausėda has already made it clear that he will support the extension and even the tightening of sanctions next year.
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Reason for the refusal: Officials in Vilnius emphasize that the Belarusian regime has not altered its behavior in any way, has not ceased its domestic repression, and continues to actively assist Russia in the war against Ukraine.
