Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko said Monday that it cannot supply the United States with large volumes of potash.

Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Belarus cannot supply the United States with large volumes of potash, its leader, Alexander Lukashenko, said, seemingly refuting U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Washington was in talks with Minsk to purchase the vital agricultural fertilizer.

"Even if we wanted to supply [potash] to other, Western markets, we simply do not have those volumes -- everything is contracted for this year," Lukashenko, often called Europe's last dictator, said Monday, according to a readout from his office.

The comments came as Trump announced talks with Belarus were ongoing to buy potash from the authoritarian state amid a trade war with its largest potash supplier by far, Canada.

"The United States is working on a massive Deal with respect to the purchase of Potash from Belarus," Trump said on his Truth Social media platform.

"The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada, very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers."

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the United States imports nearly all of its potash supplies, with 80% coming from Canada in 2024, 16% from Russia and 4% from other nations, including Israel and Germany.

Relations have greatly soured between the once close allies amid Trump's second administration, with the commander-in-chief and his Cabinet throwing insults at Canada, threatening to annex it and make it the 51st state and igniting a trade war by repeatedly threatening and imposing tariffs on Canadian imports.

Trade talks aimed at preventing the imposition of U.S. tariffs were abruptly called off in late August after last-minute U.S. demands that Ottawa said it could not accept, including those that would degrade Canada's sovereignty and protections for its French culture and language.

In response to the fracture, Canada has turned to Europe for stable economic and security relations.

"Every day Trump attacks another Canadian industry. Today, he's targeting Canadian potash, which comes primarily from Saskatchewan and ships out of B.C. ports," British Columbia Premier David Eby said in a statement.

"Trump is trying to use trade with dictators in Eastern Europe to hurt Canadian workers."

Premier Scott Moe of Saskatchewan, the largest producer of potash, said buying potash from Belarus would directly support Russia and its war in Ukraine.

"It's wrong and it doesn't make sense," he said in an online statement.

"Does anyone believe Belarusian blood potash shipped through Russia is going to be more affordable, more sustainable or more ethical than potash shipped from Saskatchewan -- right here in North America?"

Dozens of nations have sanctions against Belarus, including restrictions on its potash. The United States removed sanctions from Belarusian potash producers in March.

Trump's announcement comes amid a thawing of Washington-Minsk relations. In March, Belarus released 250 political prisoners in a U.S.-brokered deal that saw the easing of sanctions, including those targeting Belarusian potash producers.

Last week, Belarus agreed to release another 25 political prisoners under an agreement in which the Trump administration lifted sanctions on two Belarusian entities.