Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the National Leader of Belarus and key figure in the fight for democratic reform, shares her journey after challenging the Lukashenko regime. She discusses the critical need for international support in opposing authoritarianism and the resilience of the Belarusian people. The conversation highlights her anti-war efforts against Belarus's involvement in Ukraine and the campaign for political prisoners' release. Tsikhanouskaya advocates for solidarity among democracies to counter global threats from regimes like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
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Tsikhanouskaya's Path to Leadership
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya became a presidential candidate after her husband was jailed by Lukashenko for opposing dictatorship.
She won the 2020 election but fled Belarus due to brutal repression, continuing her fight from exile.
insights INSIGHT
Lukashenko's Repression Tactics
Lukashenko maintains power through repression, media control, and destroying opposition groups.
He suppresses Belarusian identity and punishes citizens even for cultural expressions or dissent.
insights INSIGHT
Russia's Role in Belarusian Control
Russia aims to dominate Belarus to control European security and strengthen Putin's imperial ambitions.
Belarus faces a "silent war" of Russification and creeping occupation under Lukashenko's regime with Russian backing.
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Join Ms. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader of Belarus and Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss the Belarusian opposition, her fight for freedom, and the importance of countering Russian aggression in Europe. With Belarus at the center of geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discusses the nature of the Stalinist Lukashenka regime and mechanisms used to maintain their grip on power, what the opposition has accomplished and its future priorities, including the release of political prisoners and holding free and fair elections, her views on the war in Ukraine, and the future of Belarus and other democracies relative to the axis of aggressors of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the National Leader of Belarus and Head of the United Transitional Cabinet. Independent observers determined that Tsikhanouskaya won the Belarusian presidential election on August 9, 2020, defeating the long-standing dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Tsikhanouskaya entered the presidential race after the Lukashenko regime arrested her husband for declaring his own candidacy. The regime forced her into exile, but she inspired mass peaceful protests throughout Belarus. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Tsikhanouskaya launched an anti-war movement to prevent Belarus’ involvement and led underground resistance efforts against Russian troops. She has advocated for the release of over 1,500 political prisoners and free and fair elections, earning her numerous international awards and two Nobel Peace Prize nominations.
H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.
Battlegrounds With H.R. McMaster: International Perspectives 