In her address, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, above all, thanked Lithuania for the support and solidarity that the country and its people have demonstrated toward Belarusians since 2020. She noted that today Belarusians need support more than ever.
“We must understand clearly: Lukashenka is not Belarus. It is not Belarusians who threaten Lithuania, but the regime and its henchmen. And our common priority is to stop them. There is nothing Belarusians who came to Lithuania want more than to return home. We appreciate Lithuania's hospitality, but we are only here temporarily. The absolute majority of Belarusians in Lithuania took part in the protests or supported them, and now they support Ukraine.
Recently, Lithuanian media and internet users have been discussing statements by unknown provocateurs trying to humiliate Lithuania and the Lithuanian people. Hardly any Belarusians support such anti-Lithuanian statements. I want to emphasize our common position: the territory and state of Lithuania belong to the Lithuanian people and no one else. Belarusians have no territorial claims to their neighbors and never will.
I am concerned about the discussions among politicians about whether to tighten restrictions in response to the presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus and equate Belarusians with Russians. Indeed, the regime does pose a threat, but migration restrictions will not solve it. First of all, this can harm pro-democratic Belarusians. This will also play in favor of the Kremlin, which is trying to erase the difference between Belarusians and Russians. But Belarusians are not Russians, and Belarus is not Russia. And it never will be,” said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
