site.btaBelarus Opposition Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: As Long as Lukashenko Is There, Backed Up by Putin, There Will Be Threats to EU

As long as Lukashenko is there, backed by Putin, there will be constant threats to the European Union, Belarusian opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told BTA. "Migration issues, diplomatic nuclear weapons, constant drills and blackmailing of our democratic partners will be new reality" she said in the interview at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Tsikhanouskaya, along with fellow Belarusian opposition figure Palina Sharenda Panasiu and Ukrainian political activists Lenie Umerova and Tata Kepler, were special guests at a European Parliament ceremony marking International Women's Day (March 8).

She urged the EU to tighten sanctions against the government of Aleksander Lukashenko while allowing ordinary Belarusians to study, travel and work in the 27 member states.

"Our task now is to be prepared for the next moment of opportunity and this time we will be prepared because the desire of people hasn't disappeared. We still want to get rid of Lukashenko's regime, we still want to return to the European family of countries", she said.

According to her the Belarus opposition now has more instruments to bring about change in the country. "We managed to build alternative institutions of power, to build strong cooperation and coordination of actions between people on the ground and people in exile. We managed to formalize relationship with the democratic world with institutions, with countries."

In August 2020, Belarus witnessed  massive protests that were of unprecedented scale in its modern history. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets, contesting the results of the presidential election that officially gave a new mandate to long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko. Deemed rigged by the opposition and the international community, the vote has led to an unprecedented political crisis, and Tsikhanouskaya has emerged as the leader of the country's opposition movement.

Only a few days after the elections, Tsikhanouskaya was forced to leave Belarus. She went to Lithuania, where she secured asylum and from there continued her activities as a leading voice of the Belarusian opposition in exile.