During the Munich Security Conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Ambassador Boris Ruge. The meeting focused on the regional security situation and Belarus within the broader European context.
The parties discussed relations between Ukraine and the democratic forces of Belarus, including preparations for the future meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They also raised the issue of how potential peace negotiations on Ukraine might affect the situation in Belarus.
Particular attention was paid to the Lukashenka regime’s military cooperation with Russia, the militarization of Belarus’ economy, and the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory, which creates additional threats to regional security.
The discussion also covered the possibility of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visiting NATO Headquarters and addressing delegations of the NATO member states.
Ambassador Ruge and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya further discussed the releases of political prisoners and relations with the United States. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted: “We encourage President Donald Trump to continue facilitating the release of people from prison. This is an important humanitarian track, but humanitarian steps must be accompanied by a firm European position on Belarus. Such a strategy is what will help achieve systemic change, end repression, and reduce the regime’s involvement in the war against Ukraine”.
Ambassador Ruge is well familiar with the Belarusian issue: he took part in meetings with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Munich in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In May 2024, he also joined the meeting between the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
