Trump announces Belarus potash deal; Lukashenko says Belarus has nothing to sell

Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the United States is working on a "massive" deal to buy potash from Belarus at prices "substantially less" than what the U.S. pays Canada, framing it as good news for American farmers amid his escalating trade war with Ottawa.

Hours before Trump's post, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Belarus could not supply Western markets even if it wanted to. He said the country had reoriented its exports eastward and that all current potash volumes were already contracted.

The U.S. imports roughly 80% of its potash from Canada, with Russia and Belarus supplying smaller shares. The Trump administration recently lifted sanctions on two Belarusian companies, and Belarus freed 25 political prisoners last week — though hundreds remain imprisoned after Lukashenko's crackdown on the 2020 protests and his role in facilitating Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Belarus's exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, called any deal "very risky," saying potash revenue funds repression and Russia's war effort.