A Conversation With Belarus Opposition Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February sent shock waves around the world. As Ukrainians fight for their sovereignty, the fate of neighboring Belarus is also closely entwined with the outcome of the war. The country’s longtime president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, sided with Russia when he allowed Belarus to be used as a launch pad for the invasion. But where do the Belarusian people stand? What role did Belarus play in the assault on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and can Western sanctions change Lukashenko’s calculus? Watch FP’s wide-ranging interview with the country’s opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

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How has the war changed the Belarusian opposition’s attitude toward Russia?

What does Belarus’s opposition leader need from the West to make change?

Will Belarus bear the brunt of reparations?

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Belarus opposition leader

Amy Mackinnon

Amy Mackinnon

Foreign Policy’s national security and intelligence reporter

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Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the U.N. Security Council from her office in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 4, 2020.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the U.N. Security Council from her office in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 4, 2020.

Are America and Europe Aligned on China?

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The war in Ukraine has propelled the United States and Europe closer on a variety of foreign-policy issues. But do Washington and Brussels agree on how to deal with Beijing’s growing clout...Show more

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the U.N. Security Council from her office in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 4, 2020.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the U.N. Security Council from her office in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 4, 2020.

Inside the U.S.-China Tech War

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Over the last few years, the United States has moved to limit China’s technological rise. U.S.-led sanctions have imposed unprecedented limits on Beijing’s access to advanced computing c...Show more

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the U.N. Security Council from her office in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 4, 2020.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the U.N. Security Council from her office in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sept. 4, 2020.

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