Opposition politician calls on US to sustain efforts in freeing Belarusian dissidents
February 4, Pozirk. Dzianis Kučynski, an aide to Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja, discussed the continuation of humanitarian efforts to free jailed Belarusian dissidents with senior US officials in Washington, Cichanoŭskaja’s press office reported.
Kučynski met with Charles McLaughlin, special assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs, and Spiro Ballas, senior advisor for national security affairs in the office of the vice president.
The meetings also addressed Minsk’s hybrid attacks on Lithuania and Poland, the impact of peace negotiations on Ukraine on the situation in Belarus and contacts with Kyiv following the recent meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Cichanoŭskaja in Vilnius.
Kučynski stressed the importance of two tracks in US relations with Belarus: humanitarian efforts to secure the release of dissidents and political initiatives aimed at restoring Belarus’ sovereignty and launching democratic reforms following an end to reprisals and the release of all designated political prisoners.
On behalf of Cichanoŭskaja, Kučynski expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his “efforts and achievements in the humanitarian sphere,” citing the recent release of 123 dissidents negotiated by Washington last December.
The politician also forwarded to the White House the opposition transition cabinet’s draft proposal on holding a roundtable and the potential role of the US as an international mediator in future democratic reforms in Belarus.
Zelensky: Ukraine aids US efforts on Belarusian dissidents, seeks help for Ukrainians in Russia
January 26, Pozirk. Ukraine is helping the United States secure the release of Belarusian dissidents and is seeking Washington’s support to free Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists yesterday in Vilnius. “Russia is holding …
