US decision to lift sanctions against Belarus likely to aid Russia’s war effort – ISW

20.03.2026 11:39

Ukrinform

The US decision to lift sanctions on Belarus is likely to directly benefit Russia’s economy and therefore Russia’s war effort.

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War, according to Ukrinform.

“ISW has long assessed that Russia has de facto annexed Belarus and that the states have a combined defense industrial base (DIB). Lifting US sanctions on Belarus therefore directly benefits Russia’s war effort,” the report reads.

Earlier, US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale met with Aleksandr Lukashenko. Following the meeting, Lukashenko announced the release of 250 political prisoners, while Coale told reporters that the United States would lift sanctions from two Belarusian state banks, the Ministry of Finance, and leading potash producers (a key fertilizer ingredient and a major Belarusian export).

According to Coale, the US will remove all sanctions placed on Belarus over the suppression of protests in 2020 if Belarus releases all remaining political prisoners by the end of 2026.

As reported earlier by Ukrinform, following the visit of the US Special Envoy to Minsk, another group of Belarusian political prisoners was released on March 19