During her visit to Washington, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a series of meetings with members of the United States Congress, the State Department, and think tanks. This was her first visit since the new US administration came to power.
The visit aimed to strengthen the bilateral Strategic Dialogue, discuss further steps for the release of political prisoners, renew the Belarus Democracy Act, restore support for independent media and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and appoint a Special Envoy for Belarus.
In Congress, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with:
- Representatives Chris Smith, Joe Wilson, Mario Díaz-Balart, and Chuck Edwards;
- Senators Dan Sullivan, Rick Scott, Jeanne Shaheen, Dick Durbin, and Roger Wicker.
She also took part in briefings with national security advisors and members of the Republican Party, including those close to President Donald Trump.
Key agreements reached during the meetings included:
- Initiating congressional hearings on Belarus;
- Submitting a renewed version of the Belarus Democracy Act;
- Including the issue of religious persecution in Congressional documents.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya held a separate meeting with State Department representatives, including Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher Smith, and officials responsible for human rights and religious freedom. The meeting focused on:
- The appointment of a Special Envoy for Belarus;
- Intensified humanitarian and political efforts to secure the release of political prisoners;
- A new support package for civil society and independent Belarusian media.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked the administration for its efforts that led to the release of political prisoners Yury Ziankovich, Andrei Kuznechyk (a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist), and Alena Maushuk.
“The latest releases of political prisoners are the result of international pressure, and the United States played a key role,” Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted.
Additionally, the Belarusian leader took part in:
- A meeting of the Munich Security Conference leadership, attended by US Vice President J.D. Vance;
- Speaking engagements at the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute during a panel on closed regimes: Belarus, Venezuela, and North Korea.
She also met with Belarusians in Washington and presented awards – the Skaryna Medal and the medal “For Distinguished Work for the Benefit of Belarus” – to active community members who continue to support political prisoners, journalists, and the democratic movement in exile.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Belarus must be part of the US strategy in the region. Without a free Belarus, there can be no lasting peace in Europe”.
