{"id":146576,"date":"2025-07-13T14:11:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T11:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/146576\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"cichanouskaja-trump-has-power-to-spur-change-in-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/146576\/","title":{"rendered":"Cichano\u016dskaja: Trump has power to spur change in Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Cichano\u016dskaja's press office)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

July 13, <\/strong>Pozirk.<\/strong> <\/em>US President Donald Trump may face challenges dealing with Russia, but Belarus is like \u201clow-hanging fruit for him,\u201d Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja told The Sunday Times<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Belarusian people are united around the idea of change. Trump has the power and leverage to bring it about,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The politician made this statement weeks after the release of her husband, prominent opposition figure Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski and several other jailed dissidents following a meeting in Minsk between Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and Keith Kellogg, Trump\u2019s special envoy for Ukraine. Cichano\u016dski was immediately taken to Lithuania with the help of US diplomats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian ruler most likely expected that his release would cause a rift within the exiled opposition, yet he has \u201cbadly miscalculated,\u201d said Franak Via\u010dorka, who serves as an aide for Cichano\u016dskaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While her husband remained behind bars, the politician had to be careful in her statements and actions, but now Minsk has lost this leverage against her, he noted. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few days ago, the couple published a joint article for Il Foglio<\/em>, arguing that Western sanctions on \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime should be kept in place and expanded if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The West should link any normalization of relations with Minsk to \u201ctangible progress, starting with the full and unconditional release of all political prisoners,\u201d they stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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