Ukraine Victory is the Key to Freedom for Belarus, Says Opposition Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Kyiv for her first official visit to Ukraine, where she declared that Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine serves as a vital source of determination and inspiration for the Belarusian people.

Speaking at a press conference, Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that a Ukrainian victory is closely tied to the future liberation of Belarus from its current authoritarian regime, according to Suspilne News on May 25.

During the visit, it was also confirmed that Ukrainian scholar Yaroslav Chornohor, a lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, has been appointed as the Ambassador-at-Large for Belarus within Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle relations with Belarusian democratic forces.

"Despite the Russian terror, Ukraine is holding the front, demonstrating determination, inspiring the whole world and, of course, first of all Belarusians. The victory of Ukraine is also the path to the freedom of Belarus," Tsikhanouskaya stated.

The opposition leader explained that the primary purpose of her trip to Kyiv was to explicitly demonstrate that the people of Belarus stand firmly behind the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

At the same time, Tsikhanouskaya openly acknowledged that Alexander Lukashenko, the unrecognized president of Belarus, has directly turned the nation into an accomplice to Moscow's military campaign.

"Lukashenko is a usurper who lost the elections. He does not represent Belarusians and serves exclusively the interests of the Kremlin and imperial Russia. But Belarus is not Russia. And Belarusians are not inconvenient regimes. Belarusians stood with you shoulder to shoulder, died in the trenches since 2014. Thousands of Belarusians spoke out against the war, and hundreds remain arrested for supporting Ukraine," she added.

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During her meetings, Tsikhanouskaya engaged with Ukrainian officials to map out future collaboration between Kyiv and the democratic institutions of Belarus. She reiterated that regional security and long-term stability depend on the establishment of a free and sovereign Belarusian state.

"For us, it is very important that Ukraine sees a future partner and neighbor in a free Belarus, not a threat. Only a free, democratic Belarus will become a factor of stability and security in the region, and not an instrument of the Kremlin's aggressive policy. We need more mutual dialogue, more contacts between people, experts, civil society, and democratic institutions. Putin and Lukashenko did everything to destroy the friendly relations between our peoples, but our task is to restore them without fail," Tsikhanouskaya concluded.

Tsikhanouskaya traveled by special train at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and was accompanied by a delegation of senior opposition figures, including deputy head Pavel Latushka.

Upon arrival, the group was met at the station by Yaroslav Chernohor, Ukraine's ambassador-at-large, before Tsikhanouskaya went straight to pay tribute at the grave of Belarusian volunteer Maria Zaitseva, who had been killed fighting against Russian forces.

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