Lithuania Refuses to Resume Belarus Fertilizer Transit Despite US Pressure
Lithuania's foreign minister confirmed the country will not restore Belarusian potash transit through its territory, even after the United States lifted its own sanctions on Belaruskalii in March 2026.
Lithuania will not restore transit of Belarusian fertilizers through its territory, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budris said, pushing back against stepped-up US pressure following Washington's decision to lift its own sanctions on Belarusian potash producer Belaruskalii.
The United States removed the restrictions on Belaruskalii in March 2026. The sanctions had been in place since August 2021, when the US Treasury described the company as the main source of foreign currency for the Lukashenko government. Washington framed the reversal as a move to ease global fertilizer supply constraints.
Lithuania, however, anchors its position to EU-level sanctions on Belarus, which run through at least early 2027. "Russia is committing aggression. Belarus is helping it. That is our situation," Budris said.
The Klaipeda port route was historically the primary export corridor for Belarusian potash before sanctions closed it. Restoring that route would significantly reduce shipping costs for Belarusian fertilizer reaching global markets.