NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on foreign partners and Belarusians to thwart the dictators' plans to station nuclear weapons in Belarus: “The stationing of nuclear weapons in our country will strengthen Russia's control over Belarus, which is already enormous. It will require tremendous efforts to abandon these weapons, as they may become a subject of bargaining and aggression on Russia’s end. And Belarusians will have to deal with the consequences for years. Therefore, we must do everything we can to thwart Putin and Lukashenka's plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus.”
Deputy Head and Foreign Affairs Representative of the United Transitional Cabinet, Valery Kavaleuski, also commented on the issue: “This step is an ostensible threat to the independence of Belarus. We are working with international organizations and national governments to prevent this scenario and achieve a complete withdrawal of Russian troops and military facilities from the territory of our country.”
BELARUS-UKRAINE. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the 15th Kyiv Security Forum on May 26. The Belarusian leader noted that a democratic Belarus will be a source of security for Ukraine and all of Europe and pledged to withdraw Belarus from Union State agreements with Russia. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya supported the Peace Formula proposed by President Zelenskyy.
BELARUS-ICELAND. On May 25, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir in her office in Vilnius. They agreed to continue cooperation within the Council of Europe and the UN, and discussed a potential joint discussion during the UN General Assembly session, the campaign against nuclear weapons, and support for the Belarusian civil society.
PRISON CONDITIONS. The legal team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office prepared a detailed analysis of the deteriorating conditions for political prisoners in detention facilities in Belarus. Read the review in Russian at the link.
SITUATION WITH LAWYERS IN BELARUS. The number of lawyers in Belarus is decreasing every day. Over the past three years, it fell by 500. The reasons are repression, increased risks, and changes in legislation on the legal profession. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor on Legal Affairs Kristina Richter spoke on the current situation in the regions and throughout the country and its prospects. She also explained the available options for receiving legal assistance. Cards are available in Belarussian and Russian.
EDUCATION IN BELARUS. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusians on the occasion of the school year ending: “Our children should study in a school free of propaganda. We want our children to study in the best universities in Belarus and Europe, not military schools. It lies in our power to resist because our children's fate depends on us.”
SANCTIONS. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a call with the Foreign Minister of Portugal to discuss sanctions against Belarus. Earlier, the minister was presented with a report by the National Anti-Crisis Management on the forcible displacement of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for not easing sanctions against Belarus and considering new restrictions, including against individuals involved in repression against Belarusians and the regime's military support for Russia.
OFFICE VOLUNTEERS. Volunteers of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office had an online meeting with Maryna Shtrakhava, co-founder of The Others initiative. During the conversation, they discussed social inclusion and equity, as well as their state in Belarus. An article was released as a follow-up to the meeting.
CONVERSATIONS WITH BELARUSIANS. On Thursday, May 25, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held weekly personal conversations with Belarusians to find out more about the situation in different places in Belarus and abroad and to help them find possible solutions to their problems. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor on Legal Affairs Kristina Rikhter also joined the conversations.
MEDIA. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave interviews to Tvn24 (Poland), Fakty ICTV (Ukraine), Rzeczpospolita (Poland), IntelliNews (International), Luxemburger Wort (Luxembourg), RUV Icelandic state TV (1, 2) (Iceland), UK Daily Express online (1, 2, 3) (Great Britain), and BelSAT (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) (Belarus).
