The United States announces the lifting of sanctions against Belarusian potash, the latest sign of a thaw between Washington and the isolated autocracy.
John Coale, the US special envoy for Belarus, made the announcement after meeting with the country’s authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, in the Belarusian capital Minsk on Friday and Saturday.
A close ally of Russia, Minsk has faced Western isolation and sanctions for years. Lukashenko ruled the nation of 9.5 million people with an iron fist for more than three decades, and the country was repeatedly sanctioned by Western countries both for its repression of human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters, Coale described the two-day talks as “very productive”, Belarus’ official Belta news agency reported on Saturday.
Belarusian Presidential Press Service via AP
The US envoy said normalization of relations between Washington and Minsk was “our goal.”
“We lift sanctions, release prisoners. We talk to each other constantly,” he said, according to Belta. He also said relations between the countries were moving from “small steps to more confident steps” as they intensified dialogue.
The last time US officials met Lukashenko in September 2025, Washington announced an easing of some sanctions against Belarus, while Minsk released more than 50 political prisoners to Lithuania. In total, Belarus has released more than 430 political prisoners since July 2024, in what has been widely seen as an effort toward rapprochement with the West.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press on Saturday that the sanctions relief was part of an agreement between Minsk and Washington, under which another large group of political prisoners in Belarus should be released.
“The release of political prisoners means that Lukashenko understands the pain of Western sanctions and seeks to ease them,” Tsikhanouskaya said.
She added: “But let’s not be naive: Lukashenko has not changed his policies, his repression continues and he continues to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. This is why we must be extremely careful when we talk about sanctions relief, so as not to strengthen the Russian war machine and encourage continued repression.”
Tsikhnouskaya also described European Union sanctions against Belarusian potash fertilizers as far more painful for Minsk than those imposed by the United States, saying that while easing U.S. sanctions could lead to the release of political prisoners, European sanctions should promote long-term systemic changes in Belarus and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The latest round of talks also focused on Venezuela, as well as Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Belta said.
Coale told reporters that Lukashenko had given “good advice” on how to resolve the conflict, saying Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin were “long-time friends” with “the level of relationship necessary to discuss these issues.”
“Naturally, President Putin may accept some advice and not others,” Coale said.
