“My Novaya Gazeta Europe interview has sparked a lot of sharp discussions. But what truly matters to me is that many Belarusians on their social media have expressed words of support and once again proved that we share our views. After all, the important thing for us and for our country now is self-consistent decision-making, political independence, and unity in our stance on preserving sovereignty.
I am always happy to get feedback and try to listen to it. And trust me, your opinion is an important benchmark of my work”, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya commented.
Below are a few quotes from the interview:
- On the attitude of Belarusians to the war in Ukraine
I know that if someone in Belarus is asked about the war, they will keep silent. They will not say that they oppose it, because they know that saying this can lead to jail. But they will never say that they support it or that Russia is doing the right thing. Never.
- On the difference in mentalities between Belarusians and Russians
We see Z signs on the streets in Russia, we see Russians who are very aggressive against Ukraine. You will never see this in Belarus. Belarusians simply do not understand why someone would attack a neighboring country. For Belarusians it is incomprehensible, but Russians still have imperialistic ambitions, and they extend to the majority of the population, unfortunately.
- On the inadmissibility of equating Belarus and Russia
We are working to make sure that Belarus and Russia are not put in one basket. If a country needs to pass some law aimed at both Belarusians and Russians, we insist that it does so in different clauses. Because when the government of a country mentions Russia and Belarus next to each other, the people of this country start to perceive them as allies.
