
美國白俄羅斯特使寇爾接觸立陶宛外交官,盼白俄鉀肥經由波羅的海港口出口,引發歐洲官員對制裁效力及魯卡申柯勢力的擔憂。
美國川普政府傳施壓立陶宛放寬對白俄羅斯鉀肥的制裁,旨在降低美國農民肥料成本。此舉引發歐洲官員擔憂,認為恐助長白俄總統魯卡申柯勢力,且立陶宛作為烏克蘭堅定支持者,是否配合仍存變數。
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歐盟自2020年白俄大選後對其施加制裁,隨後因俄烏戰爭進一步收緊。立陶宛作為歐盟成員國,需獲全體同意方可解除運輸限制。
(中央社記者游堯茹維爾紐斯30日專電)美國川普政府傳施壓立陶宛,盼放寬歐盟對白俄羅斯的制裁,讓白俄鉀肥得以經由波羅的海港口出口,以降低美國農民的肥料成本。不過,立陶宛長期支持烏克蘭,歐洲官員也憂心,放寬制裁恐助長白俄羅斯總統魯卡申柯的勢力。
POLITICO政治新聞網報導,4名歐洲官員透露,美國白俄羅斯特使寇爾(John Coale)近幾週接觸立陶宛外交官,探詢放寬白俄貨物運輸限制的可能性。美方希望白俄鉀肥能經由立陶宛克萊佩達(Klaipeda)港,或波羅的海地區其他港口運往全球市場。
白俄羅斯是全球主要鉀肥供應國,約占全球市場20%。美國目前使用的鉀肥幾乎全仰賴進口,其中約80%來自加拿大。美加貿易談判8月破裂,雙方隨後又相互提高關稅,促使川普政府尋求其他供應來源。
據報導,川普上個月曾表示,正與白俄羅斯洽談一項重大交易,希望以低於目前向加拿大企業採購的價格取得鉀肥。美國國務院官員表示,美方會尋求符合美國經濟利益的商業機會,也經常與盟友及夥伴討論相關前景。
然而,白俄鉀肥出口目前受歐盟制裁限制。歐盟27個成員國在2020年白俄總統大選後,因認定選舉不公及當局鎮壓和平抗議,決定實施相關制裁。俄羅斯2022年全面入侵烏克蘭、白俄羅斯協助俄方作戰後,美歐進一步收緊制裁。
報導指出,要解除白俄鉀肥運輸限制,須獲歐盟所有成員國一致同意。立陶宛將於明年初接任歐盟輪值主席國,理論上可在明年2月制裁展延時行使否決權,使制裁失效。不過,立陶宛是歐盟堅定支持烏克蘭的國家之一,是否配合美方要求,可能引發國內政治爭議。
一名東歐官員向POLITICO表示,美方正持續施壓,但這名官員強調他們的回應是「絕對不行」。另一名歐洲官員則質疑,考量加拿大在全球鉀肥市場的主導地位,白俄鉀肥是否有足夠市場需求仍不明朗。
歐洲官員也擔心,放寬對白俄羅斯的制裁,可能提升白俄總統魯卡申柯(Alexander Lukashenko)的國際地位,使他更有餘地持續監禁政治異議人士。
美國今年3月開始解除部分對白俄制裁,包括針對國營白俄羅斯鉀肥公司的措施,並將此舉定位為協助降低美國農民化肥成本。此前,寇爾曾居中斡旋,促成白俄羅斯釋放250名政治犯,華府則部分放寬對白俄羅斯的制裁。
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
立陶宛將在明年2月歐盟制裁展延時面臨決策壓力
Likely · Within months

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