Фото: t.me/tsikhanouskaya
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the “Belarus: Silent Resistance” discussion at the international La Toja Forum in Spain. Together with former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, she discussed the situation in Belarus, the democratic movement and Belarusians’ resistance to the regime.
Tsikhanouskaya also thanked the European Union and the United States for supporting independent Belarusian media, human rights organizations, NGOs, and cultural and historical initiatives that were forced to relocate their activities outside the country after 2020. She noted that this support had enabled civil society to preserve its structures and continue operating in exile.
Tsikhanouskaya separately stressed the need for a consistent EU policy toward dictatorships.
“There may be a temptation to return to the way things were before, to come to terms with the dictatorship, with Lukashenka, with Russia. But Europe is based on the values and principles it has always defended. If it abandons them, Russia will use that as a sign of weakness. Therefore, it is important for Europe to remain consistent,” she said.
The Tsikhanouskaya Office noted that the theme of resistance in defense of democracy is also particularly important to the La Toja Forum. In 2022, the forum’s main prize was awarded to the Ukrainian people for defending democracy and resisting Russian aggression. In 2024, the prize went to Borrell, whose discussion with Tsikhanouskaya was one of the forum’s final international sessions this year.