John Cole: US lifts sanctions on Belarusian potash

A new round of Belarusian-American negotiations continued on Saturday. Today, December 13, a meeting took place at the Palace of Independence between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and US Special Envoy John Cole. The press was only briefed on a short protocol — the main part of the talks took place behind closed doors.

On the eve, Alexander Lukashenko met with representatives of US President Donald Trump’s team, headed by US Special Envoy for Belarus, John Cole.

Alexander Lukashenko said:

"We have many issues. The world is changing very quickly, new problems are emerging that we need to discuss. Or perhaps, resolve some issues," the President said, opening the conversation.

Afterward, the US representative shared details and results of the talks with Belarusian journalists.

John Cole, US Special Envoy:

"According to President Trump's instructions, the US is lifting sanctions on potash. I think this is a very good move by the US for Belarus. We are lifting them now. The dialogue on sanctions will continue. As relations between the two countries normalize, more sanctions will be lifted. I hope that in the future, we will reach a situation where there are no sanctions at all."

Cole: Lukashenko gives good advice on resolving the Ukraine conflict

During the two-day negotiations between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and the US Special Envoy for Belarus, issues of normalizing relations were discussed. According to John Cole, the talks with Alexander Lukashenko were very productive.

"I spoke with your President on various issues. He is helping and advising us on what to do about the war between Russia and Ukraine. These are good pieces of advice, among other things," said the US representative.

Regarding the progress of the peace process in Ukraine and Belarus’s role in it, John Cole highlighted the long-standing good relations between Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Your President has a long history of relations with President Putin and has the opportunity to advise him. This is very useful in this situation. They are longtime friends and have the necessary level of relations to discuss such issues. Naturally, President Putin can accept some advice and reject others. This is a way to help the process," said John Cole.