U.S. Potash Sanctions May Push Belarus Deeper into Putin’s Arms
- Lukashenko loses potash revenue as Lithuania halts transit
- Impact on budget may help speed up Russia-Belarus integration
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U.S. sanctions against Belarus’s potash industry that have helped push fertilizer prices to record highs may also draw President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime more tightly into Russia’s embrace to survive the shock to its finances.
While Lukashenko hasn’t yet asked Russia for support, the Kremlin expects the Belarusian leader to make an approach for help with budget shortfalls caused by the ban on potash sales, according to two senior Russian officials with knowledge of the situation, who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. Any assistance is likely to be limited, they said.