Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands. They discussed:
– the EU’s next steps: the need to coordinate with the UK, the US, and Ukraine for a common pressure on the regime;
– new sanctions: Rutte promised to help the Belarusians «the strongest, the most painful sanctions that Lukashenka can only imagine». Mr. Kaag assured that sanctions could be imposed before 21 June;
– assistance to civil society: doctors, students, teachers, journalists under constant pressure or behind bars.
After the meeting, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Mark Rutte and Sigrid Kaag held a joint press conference. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Netherlands for its tough stance on Lukashenka and for recognizing his actions as criminal. Mr. Rutte replied that never in 10 years as Prime Minister has he seen such unity in the European Council and for the first time sees such an association of EU heads of state.
He also said that he would like to see Sviatlana as the next President of Belarus. This is the first time that a head of State has held a joint press conference with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – the very fact of such a gesture testifies to Tsikhanouskaya’s recognition as the leader of Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya then had a meeting with the Belarusian diaspora and lawyers about an application to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, to open investigations against the Lukashenka's regime.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also addressed all major fractions in Parliament and the Head of the Cabinet of International Relations of the Dutch Parliament. «Belarus can be a success story for all of Europe, because right now Belarusians are fighting for freedom and for the values on which Europe stands. And it is very important for us to know that in this fight we are not alone», said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
