United States seeks Belarus potash sanction relief

The United States has already eased some restrictions on Belarusian potash, and reports published on May 22 and May 23 said Washington is now pressing European neighbors and Ukraine to do more. Ukrinform reported that the European Commission plans to propose a temporary lifting of sanctions on Belarusian potash, while Pravda EU reported that the United States had formally demanded that Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine lift their own restrictions. (ofac.treasury.gov) The U.S. move has one documented piece: the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 13 on December 15, 2025, authorizing transactions involving Joint Stock Company Belarusian Potash Company, Agrorozkvit LLC and Belaruskali OAO. (consilium.europa.eu) OFAC’s Belarus sanctions page lists general licenses as the mechanism for allowing activity that would otherwise be barred under the program. The wider diplomatic claims are harder to verify independently. Neither the Treasury material surfaced here nor the Council of the European Union’s sanctions pages say the United States has publicly ordered Lithuania, Poland or Ukraine to lift their own measures, and the claim appears in reporting from Pravda EU, which should be treated cautiously. (ukrinform.net) ### What exactly did Washington change on Belarus potash? On December 15, 2025, OFAC issued General License 13, which authorizes transactions involving Belarusian Potash Company and Belaruskali OAO. That was a concrete change in U.S. sanctions treatment for two central Belarus potash entities that had previously been sanctioned by Washington. (ofac.treasury.gov) Belaruskali has long been a major state-linked Belarus producer. Treasury said in its 2021 sanctions announcement that Belaruskali OAO was a major potash entity in Belarus and that the Belarusian Potash Company handled trading and exportation for Belaruskali. (eu.news-pravda.com) ### What are the reports saying about Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine? Pravda EU reported on May 22 that the United States had officially demanded that Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine lift sanctions on Belarusian potash after Washington removed its own restrictions. The same reporting line has appeared before in that outlet’s coverage of Lithuania and Belarus potash transit. (ofac.treasury.gov) Ukraine has moved in the opposite direction against Alexander Lukashenko personally. Ukrinform reported in February that President Volodymyr Zelensky announced sanctions on Lukashenko, citing Belarus’s support for Russian military activity. (home.treasury.gov) ### Is Brussels really preparing a temporary easing? Ukrinform’s politics page said the European Commission plans to propose a temporary lifting of sanctions against Belarusian potash. The search results available here do not show the underlying Commission document, proposal text or public statement from a named EU official confirming that step. (eu.news-pravda.com) The current formal EU baseline remains restrictive. The Council of the European Union said on February 26, 2026 that it prolonged restrictive measures linked to repression in Belarus and the Lukashenka regime’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine until February 28, 2027. (ukrinform.net) The Council also says the EU has imposed extensive sanctions on Belarus over human rights abuses, support for Russia’s war and hybrid actions against the bloc. ### Where does Lukashenko fit into this? Alexander Lukashenko has been part of a broader discussion about possible U.S.-Belarus contacts and sanctions relief. (ukrinform.net) Ukrinform reported in March that analysts saw signs of a possible political rapprochement between President Donald Trump and Lukashenko amid reports of prisoner releases and sanctions easing. Ukrinform also reported that the U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Belarus was likely to aid Russia’s economy and war effort, citing the Institute for the Study of War. (consilium.europa.eu) That assessment was attributed to ISW, not stated by Washington. ### What should readers watch next? The next verifiable marker is any formal European Commission proposal or Council action on Belarusian potash. As of February 28, 2027, the EU’s current Belarus sanctions framework is due to remain in force unless member states amend it earlier, and any change affecting Lithuania or Poland would likely surface through EU or national government channels. (ukrinform.net) Ukraine’s position would most likely appear through presidential decrees, sanctions registers or government statements from Kyiv. On the U.S. side, any further easing would typically appear through new OFAC general licenses, removals or related Treasury notices. (ukrinform.net) (ofac.treasury.gov) (consilium.europa.eu)