Belarus opposition leader warns US of ‘risky’ deal with Lukashenko

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled leader of the Belarusian opposition, warned on Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly against any trade deal between the United States and Alexander Lukashenko's government. US President Donald Trump recently stated that Washington is working on a deal to purchase potash from Belarus to reduce import costs. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that now is not the time to trade with a regime that uses all income from potash exports to fund domestic repression and support Russia's war machine in Ukraine. She labeled any deal with the regime as highly risky. Despite recent diplomatic efforts by Washington that have led to the release of some political prisoners, Tsikhanouskaya cautioned that this humanitarian track must not transform into a political one. Referring to the state of political prisoners in Belarus, she noted that while Lukashenko releases some individuals, he detains twice as many, describing the situation as a revolving door. She estimates that more than 900 political prisoners remain detained. The opposition leader urged the international community to maintain sanctions to keep pressure on the Minsk authorities and to continue supporting the Belarusian people.