Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus’ opposition leader in exile, called for Russian troops’ withdrawal from Belarus as part of a potential peace settlement in Ukraine.
Tsikhanouskaya said during a discussion at the Munich Security Conference on Friday that if Ukraine is to make concessions in future peace talks, it would only strengthen Minsk and Moscow in the region.
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“But if peace is achieved on Ukraine’s terms, it will weaken the dictators and create new opportunities for Belarus… That is why these negotiations concern not only Ukraine, but all of Europe, including Belarus and Moldova,” Tsikhanouskaya said, as reported by Belarusian opposition news outlet Zerkalo.
She also called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from not just Ukraine but also Belarus.
“We demand the withdrawal of Russian troops not only from Ukraine, but also from the territory of Belarus. [Alexander] Lukashenko’s regime has remained unpunished for a long time, he will continue to serve [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin, exchanging Belarusian sovereignty for his political survival,” Tsikhanouskaya said.
Russia used Belarus to launch its 2022 invasion of Ukraine by sending troops and firing missiles from Belarusian territories during the initial days of the invasion. The country has since been hosting Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons and Russian troops. However, Belarus is not directly at war with Ukraine at present.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the Munich conference on Friday that Russia plans to bolster its troops in Belarus by preparing 15 divisions of up to 150,000 troops.
Tsikhanouskaya went into exile in Lithuania in 2020 after disputing Belarus’ presidential election results, facing threats from Lukashenko’s regime following her rise as the main opposition leader.
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