Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discusses leaving Vilnius, Lukashenko’s lobbyists and promise not to run

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has said that as the dynamics of Russia’s war in Ukraine shift, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has in some ways found himself trapped, and continued pressure through sanctions is needed to remove him, LRT.lt reports.

Tsikhanouskaya, who recently relocated her activities from Vilnius to Warsaw, believes a time will come when Vladimir Putin will no longer be able to support Lukashenko due to his own problems. She urges European countries to invest more in relations with Belarus, offering its people an alternative to the Russian world and reinforcing their sense of belonging to Europe.

Addressing the dialogue between the Trump administration and Lukashenko’s regime, Tsikhanouskaya emphasised that she had asked US partners not to pressure Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and Latvia to ease sanctions on potash fertiliser transit. She stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom she met in Kyiv, had assured her that Ukraine would not allow the transit of Belarusian potash fertilisers through its territory.

“We asked our American partners not to pressure European countries – Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Latvia – to change their policies on potash fertilisers just because it suits Lukashenko. He must release all political prisoners, stop repression inside the country, stop providing Belarusian territory for Russia’s military infrastructure that threatens Ukraine and Europe, and stop any provocations against European states. Only then can we talk about a change in policy. Now he wants to get everything without giving anything,” Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview with LRT.lt.

She proposed a formula for sanctions: the US should lift sanctions in exchange for the release of political prisoners, while the EU should do so in exchange for Belarus’s liberation from Lukashenko. For Europe, the Belarus issue is a matter of national security, she argued. As long as Lukashenko’s regime remains, Europe will face threats from balloons, migrants, and Russian weapons deployed in Belarus.

Tsikhanouskaya called for a focus on helping Belarusian civil society rather than on Lukashenko’s intentions or how to distance him from Russia. She noted that one day, Putin may not come to Lukashenko’s aid.

She also commented on Lithuania’s decision to reduce her security, which led to her move to Warsaw, stating that the most important thing is for Lithuania’s position on the Belarusian regime to remain unchanged. Tsikhanouskaya expressed hope that the incoming government of Mindaugas Sinkevičius would maintain continuity in its policy towards Belarus.

“We hope that the Lithuanian government will preserve the continuity of its policy. We highly value Lithuania’s long-standing, clear, principled and value-based position. Of course, Lukashenko’s lobbyists are testing the unity of the EU countries and Lithuania, raising various historical aspects and seeking to undermine the image of Belarusian democratic forces. But we must think about long-term goals,” she said.

Tsikhanouskaya also pledged not to run in elections once democratic changes occur in Belarus, adding that such changes in dictator-led countries happen when they are least expected.