“Dear President Rössler, dear friends,
Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today in this historic place, in this hall, where the independence of Lithuania was restored in 1990. It reminds me of the importance of our own struggle for freedom and independence. It is appropriate to speak about “the situation in the dictatorship and war zones” as the topic for the first part of the Central Europe Forum. It gives me a chance to talk about the situation in my country, Belarus, which is closely connected with the situation in Ukraine.
At every meeting where I am invited, I speak about why it’s so important to support Belarus but also Ukraine. The destiny of Belarusian and Ukrainian people are interdependent. We all understand that there will not be free Belarus without free Ukraine, just like without free Belarus there will not be safe, independent and prosperous Ukraine.
Lukashenka allowed Russia’s regime to commit the act of aggression against our peaceful neighbor from our territory. This illegal act has betrayed the Ukrainian state but also created a grave threat to our own statehood.
Therefore, I am proud to see Belarusians and Ukrainians united at solidarity rallies when I travel around the world. We stand together in our common fight.
Many Belarusians who fled the repressions in 2020, found a safe place in Ukraine. After the war had started, many stayed there: Belarusians volunteer in hospitals, they help refugees, internally displaced persons and simply people in need. Hundreds of Belarusians joined Ukrainians in fighting Russian aggressors.
This common struggle has created a historical moment – for Belarus, Ukraine, and the entire region. The world order is in a state of meltdown, and it's up to us which form it will take when the is over. Our actions must define the future of international relations and the security system in our region.
And we’re not talking about something impossible. When I hear that something is impossible, I think about Stanislau Shushkevich, the first leader of independent Belarus, who passed away last week. In 1991, he joined the leaders of Soviet Belarus, Russia and Ukraine in Belavezhskaya Puscha to sign the agreement about the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It turns out that dismantling a huge empire could be so swift, with the stroke of a pen.
Today, we are overturning what was considered obvious before. Lukashenka’s regime, which seemed to be invincible, demonstrates its inability to control and rule when the Belarusian people decided in 2020 that they needed freedom and started the protest that has lasted for almost two years.
Putin’s army, which seemed to be so powerful a few months ago, turned out to be unable to live up to its image after it has been confronted by skillful and fearless Ukrainians.
For me, it all started in 2020. In the August 2020 election, I ran against the dictator Lukashenka after my husband was jailed for declaring his candidacy. In the months of protests that followed the stolen election, my people tried to break free from the dictatorial chains.
Up to 1.5 million people across the country took part in peaceful protests. It’s a lot for a country of 9.5 million! Belarusians surprised themselves, but also frightened both dictators. Putin and Lukashenka underestimated the strength of the people. 50 000 people have been detained. Hundreds of thousands have been forced to leave Belarus. Thousands experienced torture and inhumane mistreatment. My husband Siarhei, just one among thousands of political prisoners, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, almost two of which he has spent in a solitary cell already.
Some experts believe that the current Putin’s revanchist war began in 2020 with mass terror in Belarus. Lukashenka would not have survived without Putin. Military units of Rosgvardia were actually amassed on the border with Belarus, ready to be deployed to rescue the drowning dictator. Lukashenka is still paying this debt. He illegally allowed Belarus to be used as a staging ground for the attack on Ukraine.
We now understand that the crackdown on Belarus civil society, the destruction of free media, alternative voices, trade unions, human rights defenders – were all a preparation for the occupation and for the war against Ukraine.
But the dictators failed to suppress our movement. Despite the brutal repression, the protest movement continues underground, and after two years it is still there.
Two months ago, Belarusians united in an unprecedented objection to the war. On February 27, for the first time since 2020, tens of thousands took to the streets across the country to protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Our hacktivists hack government websites, volunteers hand out self-printed newspapers, and initiatives formed by the mothers of soldiers work with the military.
And we can also claim two achievements:
- First: Our country didn’t become a place where the Russian army feels safe. Since February, Belarusian partisans have conducted more than 80 acts of sabotage on the railways. Their bravery helped slow downRussians’ supplying their troops and transporting weapons through Belarus. Belaruski Hajun crowd sourced by thousands of Belarusians alerted Ukrainians about missile attacks and Russian bombers flying their way and this helped to save lives
- Second: Belarus army refused to enter Ukraine, despite the attempts to drag it into this war. And it’s also the achievement of our people, of mothers, and of course of officers, who refused to follow this criminal order, and made all possible this would not happen. We made our stance clear: we are against the war and the dictator supporting it.
Lukashenka became an accomplice and dragged our country into this unjust war of aggression. He completely dismissed national interests of Belarus and serves the interests of the Kremlin. Now he tries to switch from arsonist to firefighter, claiming that he wishes Ukraine well and is actually a peacemaker. No way. The West should not buy this again. We must learn that dictators can't be reeducated or appeased.
We also see attempts to start the exchange of several political prisoners for lifting all sanctions. We cannot allow the people of Belarus or the political prisoners to be used as a bargaining chip. We don’t want the release of 10, 100 or 300 hostages. We want the release of all political prisoners immediately – without conditions. All of them must be rehabilitated and restored in their rights. All criminal cases must be closed, so everyone can get back home safely: those who are in prisons, and in exile.
Every single day means more suffering – for the population of Ukraine, living in fear of Russian shelling, for political prisoners in Belarus, for ordinary citizens living in a state of terror.
I know that sanctions are not a silver bullet but they do really work. Under the pressure of sanctions, regime is making mistakes. It will have to retreat, release political prisoners and start talking to people. Until it happens, I am calling on the international community to keep building up pressure and not recognize the regime.
You may ask, how then do you fight if you have no weapons? The fact is that back in 2020 we chose a peaceful path of struggle, and we try to stick to it. We believe in the power of words, the power of persuasion, the power of diplomacy.
Perhaps, this path is longer, but we hope it will bring more sustainable changes in the longer run. You don’t see protests in the street, but big changes are already happening in society:
- First of all, Belarusians realized that their fate is in their hands, and no one would make changes for them. Hundreds of NGOs were forced to flee Belarus in 2020 and 2021, regrouped, and are active again. Many media outlets restored their work.
- Second, the energy in the society is accumulating, and there is so much energy waiting to be unleashed. In our exile communities, you can see it, there is an explosion in art, creativity, and innovative technology to combat repression.
- Third, the immunity to tyranny is being developed within the society. Even those who served the system for years realized that this policy leads to a dead end. Belarusians will never again accept the dictatorship.
- Fourth, Belarus's national identity is strengthening. Every day, as more Belarusians learn their language, they discover their true history. More and more Belarusians are making their choice in favor of democracy, human rights, and the return to the European family.
Meanwhile, we have to fight the attempt to falsify our history and to use it as an excuse for the crimes of today. This week, we marked the 9th of May. A German newspaper invited me to reflect on the importance of this day.
As a child in the early 90s, I was very excited about May 9th. Summer was right around the corner. Holidays seemed unending: first, May 1st, the Labor Day, only to be followed by May 9th, the Victory Day. In school, our local “chief ideologue” led a class on heroic acts committed by Red Army soldiers.
We performed all of the Soviet Rituals – we wore red handkerchiefs, layed carnations at the local Soviet Army monument, and watched the veterans' procession. It was a day to commemorate the end of the Great Patriotic War and to honor those who fought and died for our peace.
In Belarus, the regime has started abusing this day for political purposes. In Russia, Kremlin's propaganda went further: it made Victory Day the symbol of Russia's imperial might – a day to stoke nationalism, scare neighbors, and show off new shiny tanks. Russia's regime became sacred as the guardian of this victory. And anybody opposing Russia became a Nazi only to be defeated. They believe that they have a right to conquer and colonize. It provided the “denazification” pretext for Putin to launch the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
You can often hear Belarusians say, “Anything but the war”. Belarusians know all too well that there is nothing glorious in war. We never had ambitions for imperial glory, but we suffered from those of others. Almost every war in our region saw our land pillaged and people killed.
Unless we all embrace the lessons of history, we'll be doomed to repeat it. We see it right now.
So how should we deal with the 9th of May? Instead of Victory Day, I would call it Remembrance Day. This should be a day to honor the victims of wars past and present. It has to have a simple message: “never again”. We should remember that there are no victors in war. There is only loss and destruction. That one can't win a war; one can only end it.
It should be the day of reflection, and not of parades or fireworks. It should be a day of conversation when older generations can pass on to the youngest the values that they learned the hard way. Appreciation for peace among them.
Instead of parades and pompous celebrations, it should be the day to light a candle for the victims of war and put it in your hand.
We're now writing the crucial chapters in the history books for generations to come. The bravery of Ukrainians and Belarusians will serve as an inspiration for our children.
Your voice is loud, confident, and strong. I urge you to continue using it on behalf of those who refuse to be silenced in Belarus and those who fight so bravely in Ukraine and who write the new history of our region.
Thank you!”
