"Backyard for a Garage Sale." Discussion about Belarus Held for the First Time in the Main Program of the Munich Conference

During the discussion. Photo: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's press service

The leader of Belarusian democratic forces Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys, and American Senator Peter Welch participated in the discussion of the main program of the Munich Security Conference "Belarus in Focus." The meeting was moderated by Gwendolyn Sasse, director of the Center for East European and International Studies.

On "Human Trafficking" and Attempts to Divide Democratic Forces

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that the release of some political prisoners is a result of Western pressure, not Aliaksandr Lukashenka's humanitarianism. She warned Western partners against perceiving these steps as a reason for lifting sanctions or normalizing relations.

"It is important to emphasize that all these releases would be impossible without a strong and principled position from the European Union. When Lukashenka releases people, it is not because he has suddenly become humane, but because this entire sanctions policy, a policy of isolation and non-recognition, is working at this moment.

The humanitarian track is not equivalent to normalizing the situation, recognizing, or legitimizing Lukashenka. We must separate these tracks because as long as Lukashenka trades in people, there are no changes in the country. He is the same illegitimate person who seized power, and therefore he continues repression in the country and carries out transnational repressions," emphasized the leader of Belarusian democratic forces.

Tsikhanouskaya also commented on the release of prominent protest leaders such as Maria Kalesnikava and Viktar Babaryka. In her opinion, the authorities would like to use this to try to sow discord within the democratic forces.

"We see these narratives of the regime: how to split us, divide us, transform us into a kind of 'Russian opposition' where so many groups compete with each other. And my task is to maintain the unity of our democratic forces. We have built alternative institutions of power that work quite effectively, so we are in constant communication with all people who have been released [...]. We do this to maintain our unified narratives, although, of course, tactics may vary."

Lithuania: Belarus as a "Backyard for a Garage Sale"

Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys stated that Vilnius has no illusions about Lukashenka's regime. He noted that in recent years, Belarus has lost the remnants of its sovereignty, becoming a springboard for Russian aggression and the deployment of nuclear weapons.

Budrys sharply criticized the idea of official Minsk joining the "Peace Council" at the invitation of the USA.

"This was, I would say, an unsuccessful proposal. We have a leader [Lukashenka] against whom we in Lithuania have submitted [materials] to the International Criminal Court for crimes against human rights due to the deportation of people. We have also submitted them to the International Court of Justice for the instrumentalization of migration against us. And to see him in any organization or formation that has the word 'peace' in its name — it really complicates our considerations about also being a part of it [...] I do not see Belarus as an actor or a country that has a voice there. I see Belarus as a backyard for a Russian garage sale."

At the same time, the Lithuanian minister assured that his country would continue to raise the issue of Belarus at the international level to prevent the normalization of relations with the dictatorship.

"I think we should continue what we are already doing. Financial and political support for the opposition and organizations is the first. Secondly, we must continue our efforts to keep this issue high on the political agenda. It is not easy when there is so much turmoil around. [...] And thirdly: we must also present an alternative for Belarus that we can jointly create for Belarusian society."

Office in Warsaw and a Meeting with Zelenskyy

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya clarified the situation regarding part of her team's relocation to Poland. She noted that this does not mean closing the representative office in Lithuania.

"From the perspective of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office work, nothing has changed; we simply expanded our presence in Warsaw. Our office remained in Vilnius — half of my team continues to work there. Some people will be relocated to Warsaw, [as] there are significantly more [Belarusian] civic groups and media in Poland, and we need to have more presence there. Lithuania and Poland are the most strategically important countries for Belarus, and that is why this decision was made."

The leader of the democratic forces also commented on her recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling it an important signal.

"The meeting and my subsequent visit to Kyiv are a clear signal from Kyiv about which side it has chosen. That it is not going to forgive Lukashenka or forget his crimes. That it chooses a free, democratic Belarus and believes in the democratic forces [of Belarus]."

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