A meeting between representatives of Belarus’s democratic forces and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s Committee on European Integration, as well as members of the inter-factional association “For a Democratic Belarus,” took place in Kyiv. The information was announced by the press service of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the United Transitional Cabinet, the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, as well as active Belarusian volunteers and veterans. The United Transitional Cabinet’s Representation for Social Policy was represented by Volha Zazulinskaya and her deputy Anastasiya Makhamet.
One of the key topics of discussion was the situation of Belarusian volunteers participating in Ukraine’s defence and their family members. Volunteers and veterans spoke about the challenges they face during military service, after sustaining injuries, and in the process of legalisation and obtaining social support.
A significant part of the meeting focused on Ukraine’s migration legislation. Participants discussed the legal status of Belarusian citizens, access to public services, banking services, social guarantees and opportunities for long-term residence in the country.
Particular attention was paid to the families of Belarusian volunteers who are being held in Russian captivity or are considered missing in action. Participants noted the existing legal and social difficulties faced by relatives of such servicemen and stressed the need for additional support mechanisms.
During the discussion, participants also noted that establishing an effective system of legal and social protection for Belarusian volunteers is important not only from the perspective of fairness, but also directly affects the ability to attract new volunteers, maintain the motivation of servicemen and serves Ukraine’s national security interests.
According to Volha Zazulinskaya, the problems faced by Belarusian volunteers in Ukraine have long ceased to be isolated cases and require a comprehensive approach. She stressed the need to address issues related to legalisation, social protection, access to public services and support for military families. In her view, people who have chosen to defend Ukraine should be confident that the state can guarantee them and their relatives basic legal and social security.
Zazulinskaya also noted that representatives of Belarus’s democratic forces continue working with Ukrainian partners to find systemic solutions so that the legal status and social protection of Belarusian volunteers correspond to their contribution to Ukraine’s defence.
Anastasiya Makhamet said that during the meeting participants heard not only the views of experts and representatives of state institutions but also the personal accounts of volunteers and veterans themselves. According to her, behind every legal conflict and legislative provision are real people — servicemen continuing their service, families of prisoners of war and missing persons, relatives of those killed, as well as veterans undergoing rehabilitation after injuries.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties agreed to continue joint efforts to address the existing issues through further dialogue between the Ukrainian side and representatives of Belarus’s democratic forces.
