January 21, Pozirk. Donald Trump was the United States president to introduce the first sanctions against Alaksandar Łukašenka and his cronies in 2020, Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja said, commenting on Trump’s inauguration yesterday.
The new US administration has many professionals who “know about Belarus” and support the Belarusians’ struggle for freedom, she added, noting that the Belarusian opposition has already established contacts with the new president’s team.
Cichanoŭskaja urged Washington not to allow Belarus to become “a bargaining chip or a consolation prize for Russia” during potential Ukraine peace talks. Only a democratic Belarus can become a donor of stability and peace and a reliable partner of the US, she added.
Łukašenka will keep surrendering Belarus to Russia, keep up tension at the borders, threaten neighbors with migrants and risk escalation, the politician warned.
“The Belarusian people stand as allies of the US, united by shared values and a common vision for a freer, safer and more prosperous world,” Cichanoŭskaja said in her congratulatory message to Trump earlier yesterday.
“Now we must rediscover Belarus for President Trump and show the importance of Belarus from a new perspective,” she noted on Telegram. “We must demonstrate that an independent and free Belarus is strategically important for peace and security in the whole region. Democratic changes in our country are in line with the US interests.”
Over the past two years, the US has held two rounds of strategic dialogue with the Belarusian pro-democracy forces, launched during President Joe Biden’s tenure.
