Belarusian Democratic Forces Leader Warns US Of Risks Of Deal With Lukashenka

Reform.news Editorial Team · 22 September 2026, 14:24

https://reform.news/en/belarusian-democratic-forces-leader-warns-us-of-risks-of-deal-with-lukashenka/

Any deal with Belarusian leader Aliaksandr Lukashenka carries risks, the exiled leader of Belarusian democratic forces told AFP on Monday. Her comments came after US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering a major purchase of fertiliser from the Russian ally.

“Our position is that it is not time to trade with the regime while all the income from potash goes to repression, goes to support of the Russian war machine,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said.

“Any deal with the regime is very risky,” she warned.

At the same time, Tsikhanouskaya stressed that, in her view, Americans “know who Lukashenka is” and that Trump understands what he is doing.

She made the comments in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly after Trump said on Monday that Washington was “working on a major deal” involving the purchase of potash fertiliser from Belarus.

The US president also wrote on his Truth Social platform that such a purchase would cost less than supplies from Canada.

Tsikhanouskaya warned that revenues received by the Belarusian authorities could also be used to fund military infrastructure.

Washington has resumed dialogue with Minsk and eased some sanctions. Since Trump returned to the White House, visits by US special envoy John Coale have contributed to the release of prisoners.

At the same time, Belarus remains under close scrutiny over its repression of dissent and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Hundreds of people remain imprisoned in Belarus, a Russian ally. Lukashenka, who has been in power since 1994, crushed mass protests against the announced results of the 2020 presidential election.

On Monday, Tsikhanouskaya praised Coale’s efforts to secure the release of political prisoners.

“What is important is that this humanitarian track will not transform into a political one,” she added.

Tsikhanouskaya was Lukashenka’s rival in the 2020 election. The announcement of her defeat sparked mass protests, after which security forces violently suppressed demonstrations by her supporters, while Tsikhanouskaya was forced to leave the country.

Welcoming US efforts to secure the release of additional groups of people, she also urged Washington to seek an end to repression in Belarus.

“While releasing some people, Lukashenka takes twice more. It’s like revolving doors,” she said.

According to Tsikhanouskaya, despite hundreds of people being released since the talks began, more than 900 political prisoners remain in detention.

She also stressed the importance of maintaining sanctions, particularly European ones, to continue putting pressure on the Belarusian authorities.

Ukraine has warned Belarus against being drawn into the war on Russia’s side. Kyiv has pointed to Russian strikes on northern regions of Ukraine and said it had detected military preparations on the Belarusian side of the border.

“We have to continue our strong, principled policy towards the Lukashenka regime and support Belarusian people,” Tsikhanouskaya said.