Tsikhanouskaya accepts reduced protection in Lithuania and plans to learn Polish
Sunday 18th October 2026 on 11:15 in
Lithuania
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says she has no resentment over Lithuania’s decision to reduce her security and plans to learn Polish after acknowledging she should have learned Lithuanian. She made the remarks in an interview with ELTA published by LRT.
Tsikhanouskaya, who moved to Poland earlier this year, said she misses Lithuania and remains grateful to the country, its people and government. She said she understands that the government decides what level of protection she receives and is thankful that her office in Vilnius has retained diplomatic status.
“Lithuania became my second home,” she said, adding that she tries to visit as often as possible. “I cannot condemn anyone for this decision. It has been made.”
In December last year, responsibility for her protection in Lithuania was transferred from the VIP Protection Service to the police. Tsikhanouskaya then decided to move to Warsaw, where she continues to receive physical protection.
She said she had no excuse for not learning Lithuanian while living in the country. She cited the demands of keeping Belarus on the international agenda but said she should have learned the language. She plans not to repeat that mistake with Polish, which she finds easier to understand because of similarities with Belarusian, though she has not yet begun formal study.
Tsikhanouskaya also said Belarusians living in Lithuania, including former political prisoners, want to learn Lithuanian but face a shortage of courses. She called on Lithuania’s parliament and municipalities to provide more opportunities, saying that, according to people she has spoken to, there is only one place in courses for every 100 applicants and not everyone can afford to pay.
Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus after the 2020 presidential election. Her office continues to operate in Vilnius despite her move to Warsaw. Opposition representatives in Lithuania’s parliament have criticised the decision to reduce her protection.