Thank you, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

A couple of months ago I wrote about the Lithuanian government’s decision to remove Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s security detail, which was assigned to her as the elected President of Belarus and an opposition leader in exile. This decision came as a shock, not only to those who have supported Sviatlana’s fight for democracy but also to those who care about the future of democracy itself in today's disintegrating world.

I know that currently explosive international affairs leave limited space for following the less headline catching issues. So I would like to stop for a moment and spotlight this issue as it is close to my heart. 

I, like many, felt betrayed and angry. This decision imperilled Sviatlana’s security. Almost immediately came announcements about the increased threat to her and her family. There was never any doubt that she was, and remains, a target for the Belarusian dictator Lukashenko. Her words and her travels pose a threat to his self-proclaimed legitimacy. Sviatlana’s political activity reminds him daily that he stole the election, that he is an illegal tenant of a position that should belong to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Of course he would like her gone. 

The security detail was reinstated for a few months only to be removed permanently in December. 

And just a couple of days ago, it was announced that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is moving to Poland. Our southern neighbours, thankfully, have offered her a safe haven to continue her work. The backing of a European and NATO country is crucial for her legitimacy in representing democratic Belarus, and she will continue to have that. Without a safe country as a haven Lukashenko would have been gifted the argument that Europeans are turning their backs on Sviatlana. That outcome was avoided, which is great news for Belarusian democracy. Her legitimacy is secured and—most importantly—she is safe.

I won’t delve into the details of the politics of my country. I have written about that previously. This text is not about that.

This text is meant as a thank you message to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Sviatlana came to Lithuania in 2020, and immediately she started her work. I had the privilege to work alongside her and saw a warrior. Never relenting, never afraid, always laser-focused on her cause – the freedom of her nation.

And it was never easy. There were Westerners who needed convincing, Belarusians who were not always keen on trusting her leadership, but I have seen her tirelessly convincing Western capitals not to look away from the plight of the Belarusian people. I witnessed her building coalitions within the Belarusian opposition. There was never a conference missed or a meeting skipped. There was always a voice of the free Belarusian people to be heard. She was that voice.

I want to believe that democracy will win the future. I believe that not just for the sake of Belarus or other captive nations today, but for my country too. The future is uncertain for all of us. She gave me hope that if we pick up the fight, if we do not give up, if we support each other, there is a chance that we will win. And a lesson – we have truly lost only if we have given up. 

And every time, wherever she would go, she would graciously mention Lithuania. After she spoke in the parliament of one European country, a senior diplomat from that country quipped that in Sviatlana we have an invaluable Lithuanian ambassador. After her speech, members of that parliament thought not only about the people of Belarus, but about my country, Lithuania, as well.

That chapter of my country’s history is ending. I am glad it is to be continued in Europe, in Poland, for Sviatlana, and for democracy fighters everywhere. I am grateful for that, I wish her only the best in her continued mission for Belarus, and I will be forever thankful for all she did for Lithuania.