US removes sanctions on Belarus’ national airline
Belavia was sanctioned by the Biden administration in 2023, with reasons citing alleged election fraud and the Ukraine conflict.
Washington has removed sanctions against Belarus’ national airline, Belavia, according to US President Donald Trump’s envoy John Coale. This move is part of an agreement that led to the release of 52 political prisoners in Belarus.
Former US President Joe Biden’s administration had imposed these sanctions in 2023, citing alleged election fraud and Minsk’s asserted “complicity” in the Ukraine conflict as justifications.
Speaking in Minsk on Thursday, alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Coale confirmed the official lifting of sanctions on Belavia. He emphasized that the decision came directly from Trump, who had instructed him to “do it immediately.”
Coale further stated that the decision had already received approval from the US State, Commerce, and Treasury Departments, along with other pertinent government agencies.
According to Coale, the removal of sanctions on Belavia marks the initial stride toward normalizing bilateral relations. The Trump envoy recounted a “very productive” phone call between the two nations’ leaders, initiated by the US president in mid-August en route to the significant Alaska summit with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Lukashenko has lauded Trump’s peacemaking endeavors, asserting that no other US leader has achieved as much in ensuring peace.
In 2021, the US had imposed sectoral sanctions on Belarus’ economy, mirroring actions taken by the EU and UK in response to the country’s 2020 presidential election. That election sparked widespread protests in Belarus, with the opposition alleging extensive fraud. Minsk refuted these accusations, maintaining that the unrest was engineered by the US, its European “satellites,” and neighboring Ukraine.
Since then, Western nations have implemented multiple rounds of sanctions against Belarus, particularly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. While Belarus is not directly engaged in the conflict, it permitted Moscow to launch an offensive towards Kyiv from its territory during the early stages.
Lukashenko had previously stated that Minsk’s involvement in the conflict was restricted to self-defense and to hindering Ukraine from utilizing Belarusian territory to attack Russia.
These commitments align with the country’s obligations under the Union State, which is a political and economic integration framework with Russia encompassing joint security provisions and harmonized policies.