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Belarusian Opposition Leader Tsikhanouskaya Begins First Official Visit to Kyiv
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Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Kyiv on the morning of May 25 for her first official visit to Ukraine.
This was reported by Ukrainian news outlet RBC-Ukraine on May 25, with Tsikhanouskaya confirming the visit in a post on X the same morning.
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Tsikhanouskaya traveled to Kyiv by special train at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who extended it during their first bilateral meeting in Vilnius in January. She arrived with a delegation of senior Belarusian opposition figures, including United Transitional Cabinet deputy head Pavel Latushka.
The group was met at the station by Yaroslav Chernohor, Ukraine's ambassador-at-large. Her program includes meetings with Ukrainian leadership and participation in the International Summit of Cities and Regions. The annual event, held under the auspices of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, focuses on mobilizing international support for Ukraine's reconstruction.
Her first stop in the capital was the grave of Belarusian volunteer Maria Zaitseva, killed fighting against Russian forces.
"I began my visit to Kyiv this morning by going straight from the train station to pay tribute at the grave of Maria Zaitseva," Tsikhanouskaya wrote. "She symbolizes not only our resistance to dictatorship but also Ukrainian-Belarusian solidarity."
Zaitseva was a 24-year-old Belarusian activist who took part in the 2020 protests against Lukashenko's disputed reelection before joining Belarusian volunteers fighting alongside Ukrainian forces after Russia's full-scale invasion.
Tsikhanouskaya described her as "a very bright, courageous, and principled person" who did "not stand aside" when Russia launched its war.
"For me, Maria is a symbol of a new generation of Belarusians," she added. "People who understand that the freedom of Belarus and the freedom of Ukraine are inseparable."
The visit follows surging tensions between Kyiv and the regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Moscow.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced Tsikhanouskaya's upcoming arrival on May 22 while responding to Lukashenko's proposal to meet Zelenskyy, noting Kyiv "has someone to talk to on all Belarus issues."
Tsikhanouskaya arrived roughly 24 hours after a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight on May 24. She condemned the strike, stating that "terror is supported by the Lukashenko regime."
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