A US envoy is urging Lithuania to resume talks with Belarus and restore fertilizer transit, citing benefits for the US, while a prisoner release suggests shifting dynamics.
US Calls for Lithuania-Belarus Talks and Fertilizer Transit Resumption
The United States is pressing Lithuania to engage in bilateral political talks with Belarus and reinstate the transit of Belarusian fertilizers. US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale argued this would be advantageous for the US, as stated in an interview with Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.
Coale emphasized the need for dialogue, stating, “You have to sit down and talk. If it doesn’t work, you get up and walk away.” He stressed the importance of resolving issues hindering life on both sides of the border – in Lithuania and Belarus.
Strategic Importance of Potash Fertilizer Transit
The US envoy highlighted that restoring the transit of Belarusian potash fertilizers through Lithuania would also benefit Washington, enabling their transport to Europe and ultimately the United States.
Sanctions and Prisoner Exchange
Following Coale’s recent visit to Minsk last week, Belarusian authorities released 250 prisoners. In return, the United States agreed to lift sanctions on Belarus’s Ministry of Finance, two banks including Belinvestbank, and the Belarusian Potash Company (Belarush Potash Company) and Belaruskali.
Belarusian opposition groups note that the key concern for Minsk remains European sanctions, which were recently extended for another 12 months.
Lithuania’s Stance and Transit Suspension
Lithuania suspended the transit of Belarusian potash fertilizers on February 1, 2022, after the imposition of US sanctions. President Gitanas Nauseda has firmly stated that resuming transit is out of the question as long as Belarus continues hostile actions towards Lithuania, such as sending smuggling balloons.
