Мария Колесникова. Фото: mccaininstitute.org
One of the leaders of Belarus’ 2020 protests and former political prisoner Maria Kalesnikava has been named a 2026–2027 Kissinger Fellow at the McCain Institute at Arizona State University, the institute announced.
The Kissinger Fellowship supports senior leaders working in the fields of foreign policy and national security. Over the coming year, Kalesnikava will focus on issues related to Belarus and transatlantic policy.
As part of the fellowship, Kalesnikava plans to advocate for a more prominent place for Belarus on the U.S. and European political agenda. She also intends to develop the first comprehensive concept for transatlantic cooperation on Belarus, based on a series of interviews with policymakers and experts. The project will be carried out in Berlin, where she is currently based, and in Washington.
McCain Institute Executive Director Evelyn Farkas said Kalesnikava “blends the strategic acumen of Henry Kissinger with John McCain’s courage in the face of adversity and commitment to service over self.”
“Her optimism and leadership on strategic engagement despite her suffering at the hands of the Lukashenko regime is inspiring. We are honored to support her timely work on this critical issue,” Farkas said.
Kalesnikava said that the United States and Europe should coordinate both pressure on the Belarusian authorities and engagement with Belarus.
“The United States and Europe must coordinate pressure and engagement to shield Belarus and Belarusians from today’s Russia’s autocratic influence,” said Maria Kalesnikava. “Acting in unity now gives us the opportunity to foster a vision of freedom and democratic values for a new generation of Belarusians.”
The McCain Institute also noted that its John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative, established to support political prisoners around the world, previously advocated for Kalesnikava’s release and included her case among the first taken up by the program.