Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader, spoke about whether the United States could split Lukashenko’s alliance with Putin, highlighting mutual support between the two authoritarian leaders. Information on this is often reported by news agencies, but the gist remains unchanged: in the near term, the United States does not see an easy path to changing the balance of power in the region due to a split between these figures.
According to her, splitting the two authoritarian leaders is not a goal of foreign policy:
We should stop thinking that we can split Lukashenko and Putin. They have a symbiotic friendship; they support each other, they help each other, for example, to circumvent sanctions
– Tikhanovskaya
She also recalled her participation in Oslo, during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Venezuelan leader Maria Corina Machado, calling her “fantastic and fearless.”
“fantastic and fearless”
– Tikhanovskaya
Tikhanovskaya stressed that the main focus should be on Belarus’ freedom and sovereignty, not on attempts to artificially divide the two leaders, and on supporting peace in the region.
The European Union has decided to provide an additional 30 million euros to support the Belarusian people.
Context and International Reaction
Tikhanovskaya’s statements underscore the importance of Belarus’ sovereignty and the pursuit of stability in the region. The opposition leadership’s stance aligns with a commitment to peaceful paths of development and mutual support among neighboring countries within European security.