{"id":511779,"date":"2026-01-23T13:25:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T10:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reform.news\/?p=511779"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:39:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T11:39:18","slug":"landsbergis-tsikhanouskaya-is-a-real-fighter-her-legitimacy-is-secured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/landsbergis-tsikhanouskaya-is-a-real-fighter-her-legitimacy-is-secured","title":{"rendered":"Landsbergis: Tsikhanouskaya Is a Real Fighter, Her Legitimacy Is Secured"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis<\/b> said he welcomes Poland\u2019s decision to grant asylum to the head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya<\/b>, and criticized the Lithuanian government\u2019s refusal to continue playing a key role in ensuring her security.<\/p>\n

He recalled that Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Lithuania in 2020 and immediately began her work. According to him, over the years of cooperation he saw in her \u201ca real fighter\u201d who never retreated from her goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am glad that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was offered protection in Poland, but I am sad that the Lithuanian government decided to give up this important role<\/span>. Sviatlana came to Lithuania in 2020, and immediately she started her work. I had the privilege to work alongside her and saw a warrior. Never relenting, never afraid, always laser-focused on her cause \u2013 the freedom of her nation<\/span>,\u201d<\/i> he wrote<\/a> on Facebook.<\/p>\n

On his website, the former head of Lithuania\u2019s foreign ministry published<\/a> a text titled \u201cThank you, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.\u201d<\/p>\n

He recalled last year\u2019s decision by the Lithuanian government to change Tsikhanouskaya\u2019s security arrangements.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis decision came as a shock, not only to those who have supported Sviatlana\u2019s fight for democracy but also to those who care about the future of democracy itself in today’s disintegrating world. (\u2026) I, like many, felt betrayed and angry. This decision imperilled Sviatlana\u2019s security. Almost immediately came announcements about the increased threat to her and her family. There was never any doubt that she was, and remains, a target for the Belarusian dictator Lukashenko,\u201d<\/i> Landsbergis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer words and her travels pose a threat to his self-proclaimed legitimacy. Sviatlana\u2019s political activity reminds him daily that he stole the election, that he is an illegal tenant of a position that should belong to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Of course he would like her gone. The security detail was reinstated for a few months only to be removed permanently in December. And just a couple of days ago, it was announced that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is moving to Poland,\u201d<\/i> he added.<\/p>\n

The former minister welcomed Poland\u2019s offer of asylum for the leader of the democratic forces and stressed that support from a European country and NATO member is crucial for her legitimacy as a representative of democratic Belarus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout a safe country as a haven Lukashenko would have been gifted the argument that Europeans are turning their backs on Sviatlana. \u00a0That outcome was avoided, which is great news for Belarusian democracy. Her legitimacy is secured and\u2014most importantly\u2014she is safe,\u201d<\/i> he emphasized.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t delve into the details of the politics of my country. I have\u00a0written about that previously. This text is not about that. <\/i>This text is meant as a thank you message to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya<\/em>,\u201d<\/i> the text says.<\/p>\n

Landsbergis notes that Tsikhanouskaya\u2019s efforts to advance democracy in Belarus \u201cwere never easy.\u201d However, he said she became \u201cthe voice of the free Belarusian people,\u201d and that her work strengthened Lithuania\u2019s international image.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were Westerners who needed convincing, Belarusians who were not always keen on trusting her leadership, but I have seen her tirelessly convincing Western capitals not to look away from the plight of the Belarusian people. I witnessed her building coalitions within the Belarusian opposition. There was never a conference missed or a meeting skipped. There was always a voice of the free Belarusian people to be heard. She was that voice,\u201d<\/i> he said.<\/p>\n

Landsbergis expressed confidence that Tsikhanouskaya\u2019s mission will continue in Europe and wished her success in her further activities. He stressed that her contribution will remain significant not only for Belarus, but also for strengthening democratic values in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to believe that democracy will win the future. I believe that not just for the sake of Belarus or other captive nations today, but for my country too. The future is uncertain for all of us. She gave me hope that if we pick up the fight, if we do not give up, if we support each other, there is a chance that we will win. And a lesson \u2013 we have truly lost only if we have given up,\u201d<\/i> he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd every time, wherever she would go, she would graciously mention Lithuania. After she spoke in the parliament of one European country, a senior diplomat from that country quipped that in Sviatlana we have an invaluable Lithuanian ambassador. After her speech, members of that parliament thought not only about the people of Belarus, but about my country, Lithuania, as well.<\/i><\/p>\n

That chapter of my country\u2019s history is ending. I am glad it is to be continued in Europe, in Poland, for Sviatlana, and for democracy fighters everywhere. I am grateful for that, I wish her only the best in her continued mission for Belarus, and I will be forever thankful for all she did for Lithuania,\u201d<\/i> the former Lithuanian foreign minister added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said he welcomes Poland\u2019s decision to grant asylum to the head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and criticized the Lithuanian government\u2019s refusal to continue playing a key role in ensuring her security. He recalled that Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Lithuania in 2020 and immediately began her work. According […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":511778,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sharing_image":{"poster":"https:\/\/reform.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/69735debefd64.jpg","width":1200,"height":630,"template":"691142dd","mode":"auto"},"_sharing_image_fieldset":{"dTVKfmI95PYT":"Landsbergis: Tsikhanouskaya Is a Real Fighter, Her Legitimacy Is Secured"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[142339,142338],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-511779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-main","category-news"],"wps_subtitle":"","permalink_manager":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=511779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/511778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=511779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=511779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=511779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}