Belarus is no longer just about political prisoners. What Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya brought to one of the main security forums in the USA and what Siarhei Tsikhanouski was doing there

Just a few years ago, Belarus was most often mentioned at international conferences in connection with political repression, human rights, and political prisoners. But after the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the emphasis is gradually changing. Belarus is increasingly being discussed as one of the factors of European security. It was with this message that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the Aspen Security Forum — one of the most authoritative American platforms where national security, international politics, and major global challenges are discussed.

Since 2010, the Aspen Security Forum has gathered current and former heads of special services, ministers of defense and foreign affairs, generals, congressmen, representatives of NATO, the European Union, analytical centers, and leading world media. It is on this platform that Washington's and its allies' new approaches to key international crises are often voiced. Therefore, Belarus's appearance on the agenda of such a discussion is a telling signal in itself.

As Dziyanis Kuchynski, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's advisor on diplomacy and director of the Vilnius office, told "Nasha Niva", this indicates an important shift in how Western partners perceive the Belarusian issue today.

"This was the first time Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the Aspen Security Forum. This is very important for Belarus, as the Belarusian issue is increasingly perceived not only as a humanitarian one, but also as a security issue," says Kuchynski.

Павялічыць

Belarus as an element of Eastern European security

In the panel discussion, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was joined by Belen Martinez Carbonell, Secretary-General of the European External Action Service, Theo Francken, Belgian Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade, and David van Weel, Dutch Minister of Justice and Security.

The main message of her speech was that the security of Europe directly depends on what happens in Belarus:

"We must already look at Belarus differently. Perceive Belarus not only as a humanitarian case, but also from a security perspective. Because as long as Lukashenka serves Russia, he is ready to provide our territory and our infrastructure for attacks on Ukraine and potentially — on NATO countries."

"The revolution, from my point of view, was that the democratic world finally realized: stability cannot be bought by concessions to dictators. It never works. Dictators cannot be appeased. Dictators cannot be re-educated. Dictators can only be fought — and Ukraine has shown this very clearly. This is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel — if we maintain unity, if we continue to help Ukraine and other countries fighting for their independence," Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said during the discussion.

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According to her, the regime continues to build new military infrastructure, which indicates preparation for possible escalation:

"They are building new infrastructure that should not exist if a country is not preparing for escalation. If we do not get rid of this regime, the threat from Belarusian territory will remain constant. A democratic and free Belarus is in the interests not only of Belarusians or Ukrainians, but also of Europeans."

According to Dziyanis Kuchynski, this is precisely what Western partners are understanding better and better today:

"During the forum, Sviatlana emphasized that as long as Lukashenka's regime remains an instrument of the Kremlin, the threat from Belarus's territory will persist. Therefore, a democratic Belarus is a matter of security for all of Europe."

"When the participants saw Siarhei, they applauded him"

A separate symbolic moment of the forum was the presence of Siarhei Tsikhanouski.

During her speech, Sviatlana mentioned her husband, who was in the audience.

"When the participants saw that Siarhei was in the hall, they applauded him. It was a very touching moment. Many international partners in the US saw Sviatlana and Siarhei together for the first time since his release," says Kuchynski.

According to him, during the forum, Siarhei Tsikhanouski was with Sviatlana almost all the time:

"Practically all the time, almost every minute, Siarhei was with Sviatlana, supporting her. It was very nice to see them together."

He says that in recent weeks, Siarhei has visibly adapted to life after release:

"As for him personally, he is gradually returning to normal life. He has many ideas and plans in various fields. It is clear that he uses the time after his release for self-development — for example, he improved his English. He is doing great in this sense, a very strong and unyielding person."

Kuchynski notes that, despite more than five years behind bars, Tsikhanouski has not lost his energy:

"He was in good spirits, as always. No matter how you look at it, Siarhei Tsikhanouski remains one of the main symbols and heroes of Belarusian 2020. I treat him with respect. We discussed several ideas — we agreed on some, we argued on others. This is absolutely normal and, in my opinion, even useful."

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On the sidelines of the forum, the USA was thanked for the release of political prisoners

The Aspen Security Forum also served as a platform for a series of meetings for the Belarusian delegation.

According to Kuchynski, Sviatlana and Siarhei Tsikhanouski met with former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former US Deputy Secretary of State Steve Biegun, CNN journalist Jim Sciutto, and other American politicians, experts, and media representatives.

"This was also a good opportunity to once again thank President Donald Trump and special presidential envoy John Koole for their efforts, which helped secure the release of Belarusian political prisoners," emphasized Dziyanis Kuchynski.

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