“Dear friends, Dear Marlene, dear Students.
Thank you for kindly inviting me to speak at George Washington University. I am happy to see the academic community is interested in our region. I see faculty, students, a lot of familiar faces. The smartest people of Washington have gathered here. You're the brains that help this country make smart decisions.
I've been in DC since Wednesday this week. Yesterday, I met with Secretary Blinken, members of the National Security Council, Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnel, among others. At every meeting, I spoke about why it’s so crucial to support Belarus and Ukraine now.
However, I urge your support to be not only about calculated decision making, but also about empathy. I see a lot of students in the audience. You are my inspiration. Many young Belarusians were repressed after 2020, and had to flee and study abroad. And I have not yet met anyone who would not want to return home when Belarus is free.
Of course, I understand the peculiarities of bureaucracy. I understand that the attention span is short. But we don’t have any time to waste because every single day means more suffering and more victims.
Yesterday, I attended a rally of Belarusian and Ukrainian diaspora just in front of the White house. And the first question they asked me: “Sviatlana, when will we win?”. I am always embarrassed answering this question. I don't know the exact timeframe, but I know for sure: we won't stop until we win, and all of us can get back home. Those who are in exile, those who are in prisons, and even those who lost their homes shelled by Russian missiles.
We can't predict the future, but we can make it closer. We live in a historical moment. We are proving wrong what we considered obvious before.
Lukashenka’s regime, which seemed to be invincible, demonstrated its impotence when armless people woke up from many years of coma and took to the streets.
Putin’s army, which seemed to be so powerful a few months ago, turned out to be a big fake when it confronted fearless Ukrainians.
Political order in Europe is like melted iron, and it's up to us which form it will take in the end. Our actions right now will define the history of Europe and the World for the century to come.
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 took part in peaceful protests. It’s a lot for 9 million Belarus! Belarusians surprised themselves, but also frightened both dictators. Putin and Lukashenko underestimated the strength of the people. 50 000 people have been detained. Hundreds of thousands fled. Thousands passed through torture. 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. Lukashenko would not have survived without Putin. The Kremlin has provided Lukashenko with propagandists from Russia Today. Military units of Rosgvardia were actually stationed on the border with Belarus, ready to be deployed to rescue the drowning dictator. Lukashenka is still paying this debt.
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 continued underground, and after two years it is still there.
Belarusians united in an unprecedented resistance against the war. In February this year, 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 victories:
- 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. Thanks to their bravery, Russians couldn't supply their troops and transport weapons through the Belarus-Ukraine border. Their attack to capture Kyiv from the North stalled.
- 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 probably planned to parade with Putin in the center of Kiev, but made a strategic miscalculation. And he must be brought to justice. Of course, now he is trying to escape responsibility. He tries to switch from arsonist to firefighter. No way. The West should not buy this again. We must learn that dictators can't be reeducated or appeased.
The mistakes of dictators, the strength of the people, and the determination of the democratic world give us a chance to stop tyranny. It’s evident that dictators understand only the language of power. And I am glad to finally see the decisive steps by western democracies.
We're now writing the crucial chapters in the history books for generations to come. The bravery of Urkainians and Belarusians will serve as an inspiration for our children. Your voice is loud and strong. I hope you use it on behalf of those who've silenced in Belarus and become a part of our story.
Thank you”.
