The continued rule of Aliaksandr Lukashenka means that the threat posed by Belarus to neighbouring countries and the European Union will remain permanent. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made the statement during the panel discussion “Drift: Europe in Times of Change” at the Aspen Security Forum in the United States.
“We must start looking at Belarus differently now. Belarus should be viewed not only as a humanitarian issue but also from a security perspective. As long as Lukashenka serves Russia, he is willing to provide our territory and our infrastructure for attacks on Ukraine and potentially on NATO countries.
They are building new infrastructure that should not exist unless a country is preparing for escalation. If we do not get rid of this regime, the threat from the territory of Belarus will remain permanent.
A democratic and free Belarus is in the interests not only of Belarusians or Ukrainians, but also of Europeans,” she said, according to her Office.
Joining Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the panel were Belén Martínez Carbonell, Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Theo Francken, Belgium’s Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade, and David van Weel, the Netherlands’ Minister of Justice and Security. The discussion was moderated by Peter Spiegel, a journalist with The Washington Post.
The annual Aspen Forum brings together political leaders, government representatives, international organisations, experts and media representatives to discuss key global issues.
