Belarus Resumes Potash Sales to US, Lukashenko Seeks Return of 'Stuck' Funds

Belarus has restarted potash exports to the United States after Washington lifted sanctions on the commodity, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday, while demanding the return of more than $40 million he said was frozen in the US banking system.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to military units in western Belarus, Lukashenko said shipments were underway. "We are currently loading potash, selling it to the United States of America," he said.

However, he claimed that between $43 million and $44 million belonging to Belarus was "stuck at Citibank" and insisted Washington must return the funds. He described the money as a payment from a "company that worked with us" but did not elaborate. "Return the money. It is a disgrace for the USA. Then we can negotiate more serious matters," he said.

Citibank did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The development follows a thaw in US-Belarus relations over the past year, marked by a series of US-brokered releases of political prisoners. After one such batch last December, Washington announced it would remove sanctions on Belarusian potash, a key ingredient in fertilisers and a major export earner for the former Soviet state. Belarus remains a close ally of Russia and is still subject to sanctions from many Western countries, including the European Union.

Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, made the remarks ahead of an expected visit next week by John Coale, US President Donald Trump's envoy to Belarus. Coale has negotiated with Lukashenko since last year to secure the release of hundreds of Belarusian political prisoners in exchange for easing US sanctions. He has said he hopes the upcoming trip will lead to more releases. The Belarusian human rights group Viasna, which operates from outside the country, estimates that around 900 political prisoners remain.