On May 11, during her visit to Sweden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at a roundtable discussion hosted by the Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies. She stated that the situation surrounding Belarus remains contradictory: political prisoners are being released while repression continues, and the Lukashenka regime’s dependence on Russia is only deepening.
Speaking about the region more broadly, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that Russia’s influence is no longer seen as inevitable. She pointed to Armenia as an example, noting that the country is now seeking closer ties with Europe. She added that Belarusians also want to move in this direction.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on Europe to prepare policies both for sanctions against the regime in Belarus and for the country’s future transformation — through support for independent media, civil society, economic modernization, and a long-term strategy for reintegration into the European space.
“What is happening in Armenia is interesting not because the situations in Belarus and Armenia are identical — they are not — but because Armenia demonstrates that post-Soviet states are still actively reassessing their geopolitical orientation. For years, Russia positioned itself as the region’s inevitable center of gravity. Today, that assumption is weakening. Countries are increasingly seeking diversified partnerships, greater independence, and stronger relations with Europe.
Belarus will ultimately move in the same direction. And I believe many Belarusians already agree with this. The idea that Belarus has no future outside Russia’s sphere of influence is becoming less convincing, especially among young people”.
