Europe needs to defend its future by supporting Belarus, Ukraine – Cichanoŭskaja

April 24, BPN. Ukraine cannot be safe without a free Belarus, Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has said in her speech for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Berlin on April 24.

“Free Belarus will be a great help to Ukraine and the strongest sanction against [Vladimir] Putin,” she noted.

Russia’s plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus would create a source of the constant threat to the world and make all Belarusians “hostages of two criminal regimes,” the politician said. “It would secure Russian control over Belarus for years and we must not allow this to happen,” she stressed.

Ongoing reprisals against the opposition and regime critics in Belarus show the vulnerability of Belarusian authorities as they continue the crackdown to remain in control, Cichanoŭskaja said.

“I understand that no one will change the situation in our country for us,” Cichanoŭskaja said. “It’s our task. But with your help it will be faster and easier.”

She called for support of Belarusians fleeing politically-motivated persecution and accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuse.

“They should know that every crime is documented, every punishment will follow,” the politician stressed. “We must demand a tribunal not only for Putin, but also for his puppet [Alaksandr] Łukašenka. We must stop impunity. We are not looking for revenge, we are looking for justice.”