President Aleksandr Lukashenko says that Belarus cannot honor Trump's request for potash

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko acknowledged that his country does not have sufficient volumes of potash to meet U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to supply the fertilizer. He made the statement Monday in Minsk, amid negotiations between Washington and Belarus.

Lukashenko said production for this year has already been contracted, including for Western markets. Belarus produces approximately six million tons of potash annually, while the United States imports around 5.6 million tons. Trump says his administration is working on an agreement to purchase Belarusian fertilizer, which is considered cheaper than Canadian potash.

Belarus is reportedly set to resume deliveries to the United States for the first time since 2021, after Washington lifted sanctions on Belarusian fertilizers in March. Lukashenko says, however, that exports also depend on the unfreezing of $43–44 million in state funds frozen at Citibank since 2022.

The United States asked Ukraine to allow the transit of Belarusian potash, but Kyiv rejected the request, citing the lack of arguments beyond U.S. economic interests.