Could Europe follow USA in lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash? Expert weighs in

MINSK, 10 April (BelTA) – Europe may follow the United States in lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash, national security expert Aleksandr Tishchenko said in a new episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel.

The expert noted that Minsk and Washington are currently in talks and may reach a big deal. He believes that U.S. interests may include obtaining supplies of Belarusian potash, especially since the U.S. side has already lifted sanctions on it. However, European sanctions on Belarusian potash are still in force, though the expert believes the European Union may follow suit and lift them as well.

“The next move is up to Brussels. They also need to find a way to get involved in this process, just like with the Ukraine talks. Russia and the USA are holding talks, and Brussels immediately pops up saying: ‘We want to be part of it too, now we have a coalition of the willing.’ The same could happen with potash fertilizers,” Aleksandr Tishchenko emphasized.

The expert pointed out that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off a large share of the global maritime fertilizer exports, which could, in the long run, pose challenges to global food security. “I am confident that Europe, desperate to improve its situation, will have to arrange channels for buying Belarusian potash fertilizers in order to save its own harvest,” he concluded.