Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has called on the US to support the democracy movement in her homeland during a meeting with Foreign Minister Antony Blinken. Urgent assistance is needed for political prisoners and their families, civil society, the private sector and independent media, Tikhanovskaya said in Washington on Monday. To do this, her Telegram channel published a picture of the encounter with blinking.
In addition, the US would have to give Russia the signal that agreements with ruler Alexander Lukashenko were not valid. Russian President Vladimir Putin supports Lukashenko, who is considered “Europe’s last dictator”, with loans, among other things. Tikhanovskaya claimed victory in the presidential election almost a year ago.
Lukashenko regime takes action against protests
The Belarusian authorities have been taking action against independent media and Internet platforms for days. Several Telegram channels were declared extremist on Monday. Lukashenko had announced that he would take action against all those who oppose him. Tikhanovskaya repeatedly condemned the repressions. In Washington, at a rally in front of expatriate Belarusians, she said that the struggle for the freedom of the Belarusian people must continue. She reports on her US trip on YouTube in a “Diary of the President”.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed Monday that Tikhanovskaya will also have talks at government headquarters. But she stressed that there are currently no plans for a meeting with President Joe Biden.
