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A Trump envoy discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine with Lukashenko.
The United States is lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash, Belarusian state media reported, citing comments by John Cole, an envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, after two days of talks in Minsk with Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, Reuters reported.
Belarus’s state news agency Belta quoted Cole as saying he had discussed a wide range of issues with Lukashenko.
“We talked about the war between Ukraine and Russia, about Venezuela. We had a very good conversation. We talked about the future, about how to move forward toward closer ties between the United States and Belarus to normalize relations. That is our goal,” Cole was quoted as saying.
Cole also referred to Lukashenko’s close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Your president has a long history of relations with President Putin and has the opportunity to offer him advice. That is very useful in this situation. They are long-time friends and have the necessary level of relations to discuss such issues. Of course, President Putin may accept some advice and reject others. This is a way to facilitate the process,” Cole said, according to Belarusian media.
Belarus is a major producer of potash, a key ingredient in fertilizers. Washington imposed sanctions on the state-owned company Belaruskali in August 2021, marking the first sectoral sanctions against the Belarusian economy. Belarus remains under Western sanctions, including those imposed by the United States, over political repression and its support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Cole, who was appointed last month as Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, has been tasked by the U.S. president with negotiating the release of more than 1,000 political prisoners in the former Soviet republic, a close ally of Russia.
When Trump’s envoy last visited Belarus in September, he persuaded Lukashenko to release 52 people, including 40 political prisoners. In return, the United States lifted sanctions on the state airline Belavia. The Trump administration is seeking to improve ties with Minsk.
