Фото: BKT
Adviser to the President of Lithuania Deividas Matulionis has said that if the issue of resuming the transit of Belarusian potash through Klaipėda arises, the decision could be linked to the US military presence. For now, he noted, the American side has not raised such a question.
“This is correct behavior by the Americans — they really are not putting pressure on us to take additional steps. However, if potash fertilizers from Belarus begin to be shipped to America, then the question will arise of which route they should be transported by. That is where an interesting moment would appear,” he said, as quoted by LRT.
As a reminder, on Monday the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a license allowing transactions with Belaruskali, the Belarusian Potash Company, and their subsidiaries, including the Ukrainian company Agrorozkvit.
“If we were to take any steps in this direction, it should possibly be linked to additional opportunities for the presence of American forces. If these fertilizers essentially become American and are intended for the US market, then (…) we should find ourselves within the sphere of American interests, but not act against the Americans,” he said.
Matulionis also urged against ideologizing the issue of transit of Belarusian fertilizers.
“The national interest is a combination of values-based and pragmatic policy,” he said.
It should be noted that EU sanctions against Belarusian potash fertilizers remain in force.