In her first interview since her release, Maria Kalesnikava called on European leaders to seek rapprochement with Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenka.
“The greater Belarus's isolation from Europe, the more it will be forced to draw closer to Russia,” she told the FT during an interview in Berlin. “This makes Belarus less safe and less predictable for Europe.”
Kalesnikava was asked about her torn passport, when she jumped out of a car at the border and walked back towards Minsk. An 11-year prison sentence awaited her.
“Now I understand it was a cinematic moment,” she replied with a smile. “But it wasn't impulsive. Long before that, I decided that a politician must share the fate of their people — and not just in moments of uplift.”
Kalesnikava says she is “extremely grateful to [US President] Donald Trump, the Ukrainian side, and other participants in her release.”
“But as a person with a European mentality, I don't understand why Europe didn't start talking to Lukashenka sooner than the US,” Kalesnikava said. “Clearly, Germany, for example, has much more ties with Belarus than the States.”
Her argumentation runs counter to Europe's approach, which involves supporting ties with Belarusian democratic forces in exile, minimizing contacts with the regime, and maintaining economic sanctions on exports, flight bans, and stricter visa rules, the publication notes.
Restrictions against Belarus have been a severe blow to "highly Europeanized" Belarusians, Kalesnikava said: "The country was once a leader in the number of EU Schengen visas issued."
Europe should do the opposite, Kalesnikava believes. "Lukashenka is a pragmatic man. He understands the language of business. If he is ready for humanitarian steps in response to the easing of sanctions, including the release of prisoners and allowing independent media and NGOs into Belarus, this should be discussed."
Promoting such a dialogue — especially one aimed at releasing other political prisoners and preventing further repression — is now her focus:
"I think it's clear that I'm not leaving politics."
"One day the regime will change," she said. "And until that moment, there should be no scorched earth. We must prepare the ground."
Kalesnikava said her imprisonment was "difficult," but she doesn't want to discuss the horrific conditions.
"Everyone already knows what Belarusian prisons are like. Who will it help?"
She maintains an unfailingly positive outlook and appears unbroken by her imprisonment.
She recounted that in solitary confinement she "spent two hours a day on yoga and exercises — it was a time for meditation," read "700 books from the prison library and wrote two more" (though her notes were never returned), and even "managed to do the splits."
Sometimes she was allowed to listen to state radio. "I danced, I enjoyed life. If I suddenly heard Sting or Adele, I was so happy: civilization exists, here it is. It's real. And the walls, the prison — these are just decorations."
After her release, she also plans to return to work in the cultural sphere.
"I am a person of art, all world culture is within me. It's hard to believe, but in prison, I felt like an absolutely free person."
Comments
Колесникова в Германии, Тихоновская будет в Польше.
Хотя, за снятие санкции с скотного двора лукашенко ратует не только Святой Поздняк, Бугай, но, уже и Колесникова, ждём такого же заявления от Бабарико.....
Теперь понятно, почему скотный двор выпихивает политических из Беларуси.
Тихановскую оказалось непросто раскрутить на такие же заявления, поэтому проще выкатить предъяву (простите обос....ать) от Святого Поздняка...
Турма - таксама не дэкарацыі, як і аўтазак - не проста аўтамабіль. У першай даводзяць да страты здароўя (ці Марыі не ведаць?) і жыцця. У аўтазаках - тое самае робяць. Таму і фактычна бежанцаў пад паўмільёна, не?
Як ні дзіўна, але сутнасным прыхільнікам real politik (перамовы і т.п.) не хапае рэалізму. З такім падыходам яны ніколі не зробяцца мэйнстрымам палітычнай эміграцыі. Яно мусіць і да лепшага. Ёсць маса больш цвяроза разумеючых сітуацыю дзеячоў.