On June 22, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the graduating class of the College of Europe in Natolin in Warsaw, one of Europe’s most prestigious educational institutions for future diplomats, civil servants, and political leaders.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya spoke about the future of Belarus and Europe, Russia’s war against Ukraine, Belarus’s role in European security, and the responsibility of the new generation of Europeans to defend democracy. She placed particular emphasis on Belarus’s role in the architecture of European security.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “When people ask me why Belarus matters, I answer simply: look at the map. Belarus shares a thousand kilometers of border with the European Union, has key infrastructure, and is a central element of Russia’s military machine. But at the same time, it is also its weakest link”.
She also noted that the majority of Belarusians do not support the war or share Russia’s imperial ambitions. She stressed that the international community should aim not to save Lukashenka from Putin, but to save Belarus from both of them.
Addressing the graduates, she urged them not to forget Belarus and to defend the values on which the European Union is built: “Remember: democracy is not an abstract concept. It is a value that must be defended every day. A threat to democracy in one country is a threat to democracy everywhere”.
In conclusion, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked the College of Europe for its support of Belarusian students and expressed hope that a similar institution would one day be established in a democratic Belarus. The College’s leadership confirmed to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya that it would continue providing scholarships for Belarusians.
