Key facts
- Tsikhanouskaya said Belarus should be an issue in negotiations about peace in the region.
- She called for the withdrawal of Russian troops not only from Ukraine but also from Belarus.
- The European Political Community summit in Dublin excludes Russia and Belarus under Alexander Lukashenko.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who the body describes as representing Belarus as the leader of the democratic forces, said on November 12 that Belarus's political and military situation must be included in any Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations. She spoke at the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Ireland, a forum that brings together leaders from across the European continent, including countries outside the European Union, with Russia and Belarus under Alexander Lukashenko excluded.
"Without a free and democratic Belarus, there will be no security, neither for Ukraine nor for European countries," Tsikhanouskaya said ahead of the summit's opening. She added: "I really think that Belarus should be an issue in negotiations about peace in the region," and said "we have to demand withdrawal of Russian troops not only from Ukraine, but also from Belarus."
The body says Belarus under Lukashenko is considered by the West to be operating as a co-belligerent in Russia's war against Ukraine, that Moscow has a heavy military presence in the country, and that Belarus was used to launch the initial full-scale invasion of Ukraine and subsequent attacks. Western governments have tended to treat Russia and Belarus similarly, both in restricting their participation in international forums and in imposing sanctions.
Tsikhanouskaya also pointed to the contributions of ordinary Belarusians in support of Ukraine, including volunteering for the Ukrainian armed forces, and said: "give all the opportunities to help Ukrainians win this war because the victory of Ukraine will shape not only their future, but the future of the whole of Europe."