President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he was negotiating a deal with Belarus to purchase potash, a salt-based fertilizer, at a discount, amid a trade row with Canada.

"The United States is working on a massive Deal with respect to the purchase of Potash from Belarus. The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada, very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Potash is a potassium-rich salt used primarily as fertilizer. While it is unsurprising that the U.S. would seek alternative markets and suppliers amid the ongoing trade dispute with Canada, the choice of Belarus is a curious one.

Belarus is a close ally of Russia and has permitted Moscow to station troops in the country, while also allowing its territory to be used as a staging ground for the ongoing Ukraine war.

Earlier this same day, Trump called for an end to the Ukraine war.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.