The U.S. has extended the state of emergency regarding Belarus for another year
The United States has extended the state of emergency regarding Belarus for another year, keeping in place restrictions that have been in effect for nearly two decades. The decision was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and officially published in the Federal Register.
The U.S. state of emergency regarding Belarus has been extended for another year, and this decision formally confirms the continuation of political and sanctions pressure on Minsk, which Washington views as a response to systematic human rights violations and the actions of the Belarusian authorities in recent years.
The document was published on May 22 in the U.S. Federal Register, which states that the current grounds for the restrictions remain valid, and the situation in Belarus does not provide grounds for their repeal. The state of emergency was first imposed by President George W. Bush in 2006 following events related to the presidential election in Belarus, which the U.S. and a number of other countries deemed fraudulent.
Subsequently, in 2021, President Joe Biden extended the regime, citing mass repression following the 2020 elections, the suppression of the opposition, pressure on civil society, and the incident involving the forced landing of a civilian aircraft.
The document specifically emphasizes that the actions of the Belarusian authorities and associated individuals continue to pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” which served as the basis for extending the regime for another year.
Thus, the state of emergency regarding Belarus will remain in effect until at least June 2027, maintaining the legal basis for the sanctions and restrictions the U.S. imposes on Minsk.
Lithuania does not plan to lift the ban on the transit of Belarusian fertilizers through the Klaipėda State Seaport.
On May 22, the EU Council decided to suspend duties on a number of key nitrogen fertilizers for agriculture for one year. This includes, in particular, urea and ammonia. At the same time, the decision does not apply to products from Russia and Belarus.
