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Ukraine to Host Belarusian Opposition Leader in Kyiv

The expected visit reflects Kyiv's pivot to formal ties with exiled Belarusian democratic forces as it rebuffs Lukashenko.

Overview

  • Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday that Ukraine expects Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to visit Kyiv in the near future and that she plans to open a mission for Belarusian democratic forces.
  • Kyiv publicly dismissed Alexander Lukashenko's offer to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "very strange" proposal and said it regards Lukashenko as an accomplice to aggression against Ukraine.
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed an official to handle contacts with the Belarusian opposition and Ukrainian officials say preparations for the visit have been under way since early spring.
  • Ukrainian officials say there have been no formal contacts with Minsk since the start of joint RussianBelarusian military and nuclear drills and have warned they will act proportionately under Article 51 of the UN Charter if Belarus takes hostile action.
  • Tsikhanouskaya has said she will seek deeper political and civil society cooperation with Ukraine, including resolving legal issues for Belarusian volunteers and strengthening ties that could affect volunteers, rebuilding and sanctions policy.