“Dear members of Polish Sejm,
Today we meet at a very important day for all Belarusians, our Freedom Day. We commemorate the declaration of Independence of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in 1918.
Yesterday, I was in the Polish National Archives. I was shown the documents, passports, and credentials issued by Belarusian Democratic Republic. Our Founding Fathers did not have much resources, international influence, they did not have big apparatus or army, but what they had – dedication and hope to establish Belarus as a free and independent state. And they achieved it! However, our independence is at stake again.
Today here, being among such distinguished colleagues and friends, I want to thank Poland and Polish people for their support and solidarity. At every critical moment in our history, Poland was with Belarusians. And we clearly saw it after events in 2020: Poland accepted dozens of thousands of Belarusian refugees, supported television Belsat, hosted funds and political organizations that were forced to flee and found a second home in Poland.
Important to know, that back in 1918, Ukraine was the first state to establish close relations with Belarusian Democratic Republic and to supply food to Belarus to prevent hunger. Today, when Ukraine is being bombarded and shelled by Russia from the territory of Belarus, we, Belarusian people, unite to prove that we stand with Ukraine.
We call the whole world and Ukraine to hear Belarusians: we are not the regime of Lukashenka. Our land was seized, but fearless Belarusians do all possible to stop this war and help Ukrainians prevail.
We, Belarusians, understand it acutely: Ukrainian and Belarusian fates are interconnected now. Should Ukraine fall, there’ll be no future but slavery inside the Russian Empire for Belarus. There’ll be no peaceful future for Europe either.
If Ukraine wins, we’ll have a chance to return to the European family.
Belarusians are united now in the opposition to war. Only 3% of Belarusians support Belarus participation in this massacre, as Chatham House most recent research confirms. Even supporters of the regime are against war despite Russian and Lukashenka’s propaganda.
Immediately after war started, Belarusians united in Anti War movement. On February 27th, despite 18 months of devastating repression, tens of thousands took to the streets to protest the war. We know that more than 900 were detained – tortured with gas, beaten unconsciousness, some got their bones broken.
Cyber partisans block Russian transports by hacking railway systems. Activists destroy Russian military equipment. Citizens, very often, mere teenagers, report the positions and moves of Russian troops in Belarus – those who are caught, needless to say, are tortured in prisons.
Some of our greatest heroes – Belarusian railway workers, just a week ago, disrupted the railway connection between Belarus and Ukraine so that trains with Russian equipment could not be transferred to Ukraine.
It is crucial for us to let Ukrainians and the whole world know – Belarusians stand with Ukraine, while our country is under occupation.
Belarusians also fight against occupants, both on Belarus and Ukraine’s territory. A Belarus battalion named after Kastus Kalinouski was formed to defend Kyiv, 200 people are already fighting and 300 are being trained. One of our compatriots lost his leg near Bucha, two other young men have been killed. Our medics work there as well. We just delivered a field hospital to Belarus medics in Ukraine kindly provided by Germany. Our sleepless independent journalists work in Ukraine, and deserve a special applause.
Belarusians have already shown themselves to be a proud European nation. We showed already on which side we are in 2020, and we are proving it now by helping and fighting alongside Ukrainians,
Dear members of Sejm,
In this hard time, I call on you to join me in celebrating March 25, Freedom Day. Very soon, I believe, we will be celebrating it in free Belarus. Stand with us as you always did and we will definitely prevail.
Thank you!”
