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US Reportedly Pushes Lithuania to Reopen Baltic Port to Sanctioned Belarusian Potash
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The Trump administration is pressing Lithuania to open the port of Klaipeda to Belarusian potash exports despite EU sanctions, as Washington seeks cheaper fertilizer supplies for US farmers, Politico reported on October 29.
US special envoy for Belarus John Coale has approached Lithuanian diplomats in recent weeks about easing restrictions on Belarusian goods, according to four European officials cited by Politico.
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US began easing some of its sanctions on Belarus in March, including restrictions on the state-run Belarusian Potash Company. The administration linked the move to lower fertilizer costs and to Minsk’s release of 250 political prisoners following negotiations led by Coale.
The sanctions bar EU ports from handling Belarusian goods and must be renewed every 12 months. Lithuania will assume the rotating EU presidency at the start of 2027 and could theoretically veto the next extension, due in February.
Trump stated last month that his administration was working on a “massive Deal” with Minsk to buy Belarusian potash at lower prices than US farmers currently pay Canadian suppliers. The plan depends on access to Klaipeda or another Baltic port.
“There has been intensified outreach to the Lithuanians by Donald Trump’s team in the last weeks,” a person familiar with the talks told Politico.
The US currently imports nearly all of the potash it uses, with Canada supplying about 80% of those imports. Belarus controls roughly 20% of the global potash market, according to the report.
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European officials have resisted the US push. One Eastern European official described Washington’s approach as polite but rejected the idea of easing pressure on Minsk.
“They are pressing politely, but we say very clearly ‘fuck no,’” the official told Politico. “If Americans are not able to learn from history then we have to stand the ground.”
Two Eastern European officials stated that Coale has been pressing multiple levels of the Lithuanian government for more than a year. A European official confirmed that he had also approached Latvian counterparts about using Baltic ports.
A State Department official declined to discuss specific transactions but stated that Washington regularly explores commercial opportunities with allies and partners, according to Politico.
“We would welcome continued, regular exchanges on how our two approaches can advance commercial interests for both the US and EU, as well as achieve humanitarian goals,” the official stated.
Before sanctions were imposed, around 90% of Belarusian potash exports moved through Klaipeda. Politico notes that the EU introduced sanctions after concluding that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko did not legitimately win the 2020 election and after his government violently suppressed peaceful protests.
The measures were tightened after Belarus assisted Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
European officials remain concerned that easing sanctions could strengthen Lukashenko’s international standing and give his government more room to continue repressing political opponents, Politico reported.
Washington’s effort to reopen Belarusian potash exports comes as Ukraine warns that Minsk could become more deeply involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Moscow was considering deploying additional ballistic missile systems in Belarus, potentially expanding Russia’s ability to strike western Ukraine.
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