«Dear Minister, Dear Kestutis
Dear Remigijus,
Dear Jamie, Norm, Jane
Dear excelencies, and friends,
First of all, thank you, dear Kestutis, for your strong words, and for this summit.
As you know, Lithuania became my second home after the Lukashenka regime forced me and my family into exile.
Lithuania became home to thousands of Belarusians fleeing arrests, repression, persecution, and Russia’s criminal war.
Lukashenka thought that terror would destroy the Belarusian people. That it would destroy our hope for change.
But thanks to Lithuania, thanks to Poland, thanks to the European Union and the United States, and organizations like Freedom House, we did not just find a safe haven.
We rebuilt our independent media. Human rights organizations. Cultural, educational initiatives.
We created an entire system of government in exile. A democratic representation of Belarus. That’s also why we have my Office here in Vilnius that continues to operate.
And Lithuania was among the very first to support us and continues to do so unwaveringly.
Lithuania showed that Belarus is not the regime. That Belarus is not Russia.
Lithuania showed strength. Principles. Commitment to democratic values.
And once again I want to thank Minister Budrys personally, so as your President, government, and Seimas. Lithuania’s voice for democracy is strong. And it is heard around the world. Ačiu jums labai!
I also want to greet friends from Freedom House. I don’t know how in your countries, but every Belarusian knows Freedom House.
After our peaceful uprising, it helped thousands of people escape persecution. It helped with documents, shelters,
Your Vilnius office, and Vytis Jurkonis personally, took care of me during those first months, while we were building our structures.
And over these six years, we have achieved so much thanks to you.
Democracy, Freedom do not come by themselves. You have to fight for it. And in this fight, you need allies.
As Jamie said already, Freedom House supports freedom movements around the world. Movements forced into exile. People suffering from injustice. Not only in Belarus. But also in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Iran, and North Korea.
We all come from different countries. We face different circumstances. But we are fighting the same evil.
Tyranny. Dictatorships. And this evil knows no borders. And if we do not stop it, it spreads.
That is why we must stand together. We must keep a united front against dictatorship, wherever we can. And the Vilnius Freedom Summit shows that our common front is strong. And determined.
But of course, dear friends, the main frontline of this struggle today is Ukraine.
The outcome of Ukraine’s fight will determine the future not only of our region, or of Europe. It will determine the future of democracy around the world.
If Ukraine is strong, and Russia is weak, it will open a window of opportunity for Belarus too.
It will help Moldova. Georgia. Armenia. And many other nations that want to free themselves from dictatorships supported by Russia.
That is why it is so important to give Ukraine everything it needs.
That is why it is so important to help Ukraine survive this cold winter.
That is why military assistance must continue. Intelligence sharing must continue. And of course, humanitarian aid is key.
Just two days ago, I had a meeting with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha. He told me: “We have no other choice but to win. And we’ll do it only together .”
Dear friends,
Today, we must preserve European unity and transatlantic alliance.
Dictators — Putin, Lukashenka, and others — are trying to divide us.
They are testing the unity of our countries. They are testing our solidarity. How far we are ready to compromise our principles. To make concessions. How far we are ready to abandon our values.
They are looking for our weaknesses. So they can use them against us.
And the best answer from democracies is to show our teeth. To show our strength. To stand by one another.
For us Belarusians, as for many other nations, Europe is our destination. Europe is our family.
And the United States has always been a beacon of freedom. It is extremely important that America remains true to its principles.
That it continues to stand with Europe. Ukraine. And with Belarusians fighting for freedom.
I am extremely grateful to John Coale, the Special Envoy of the American President. Over the past year, he has freed more than 500 hostages from Lukashenka’s prisons. People were finally able to embrace their loved ones.
This is a tremendous achievement. Our shared victory. And I am proud that we managed to make the issue of Belarusian hostages a priority for President Trump.
But we must remember: this is not the end. Another 900 people are still behind bars.
And new political prisoners appear every single day. Our task is to free them all. Our task is to break the cycle of repression itself.
Our task is to achieve democratic change. And new, free elections. To free Belarus from dictatorship and from Russia’s grip.
I believe this is possible. But to achieve it, we must maintain pressure on dictators.
Keep them isolated. And hit them where it hurts — in their wallets, through sanctions.
Dear friends,
Of course, we all need victories.
For example, if Venezuela manages to hold elections next year, it will set a precedent. It will be an example for Belarus.
When Ukraine is winning, it will be an important turning point for us, too.
We Belarusians have spent six years working under extremely difficult conditions. Repression. Exile. Threats. Pressure. Transnational repression.
But we continue our work, and prepare for the right moment. We are looking for allies, even inside the system. People who, at the critical moment, will stand on our side.
None of us is going to give up. Ukrainians are not going to give up. And I am sure that nobody in this room is going to give up either.
Today, I want to ask you three things:
First, continue supporting those who fight for freedom and justice.
Second: don’t be afraid of Putin. There has always been this illusion of a great empire. This fear of Russia. But Ukraine has already shown that Russia is not so great after all.
And finally, be optimistic. Dictators want us to feel hopeless and doubt ourselves. Let’s not give this satisfaction.
Together, we will overcome everything.
Thank you very much.
Long live Belarus!
Long live Europe!
Slava Ukraini!»
