Скриншот: t.me/tsikhanouskaya
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on European countries to continue supporting Ukraine, maintain pressure on the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and push for the release of political prisoners. She made the remarks at the second European Conference for Freedom and Democracy on the Italian island of Ventotene, where she spoke online.
The conference brought together European politicians, journalists, intellectuals and civil society activists. Topics discussed included countering authoritarianism, supporting Ukraine, European security and protecting civil rights.
Tsikhanouskaya spoke on the panel “The Border of Freedom: Italy and Europe in the Global Context” alongside Vice President of the European Parliament Pina Picierno, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Milano Finanza editor-in-chief Roberto Sommella and ANSA journalist Michele Esposito.
In her speech, Tsikhanouskaya highlighted the link between democracy and European security and the situation in Belarus.
“Russia used Belarusian territory to invade Ukraine. Repression inside one country made aggression against another possible. That is why democracy and security cannot be separated from each other. A democratic Belarus would help protect Ukraine’s northern border. Therefore, supporting this future is an investment in the security of the entire continent,” she said.
“No dictatorship should have the final say on Europe’s future,” the democratic forces leader stressed.