On October 13, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in a panel discussion titled “The Democratic Front: Leadership Against Russian Authoritarianism” at the Warsaw Security Forum. Other participants included former President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves, fifth President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, and Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya spoke about Belarus’s European future, the importance of Ukraine’s victory for the region, and the need to withdraw Russian troops and nuclear weapons from Belarus. She also urged democratic partners to be prepared for change in Belarus.
She addressed the release of political prisoners and continued repression: “Yes, around 500 people have been released over the past year thanks to US diplomatic efforts and the European Union’s principled stance. But despite this, repression continues, and there has been no normalization of the situation in Belarus”.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called for supporting Ukraine until its victory: “It is extremely important that Ukraine wins this war. I urge all countries to invest in Ukraine because Ukrainians are defending us all. If Ukraine wins, it will give the Belarusian people the momentum they need to free themselves from dependence on Russia”. She went on to demand the withdrawal of Russian troops, nuclear weapons, and military facilities: “Otherwise, at some point, our country could once again be used to provoke Ukraine or, potentially, European countries”.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on other countries to be prepared for change in Belarus: “We must be ready for a transition because dictatorships often seem invincible until they suddenly collapse. But our partners must also be ready for change in Belarus and stand with us at that very moment”.
