Zelenskiy and Tikhanovskaya met for the first time in Vilnius

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Belarusian democratic forces leader Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya held their first official meeting in the city of Vilnius. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

This historic dialogue marked a new stage in political relations between the two countries. Tikhanovskaya expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian leader for the support provided to democratic movements, particularly for accepting political prisoners.

During the meeting, the politicians visited the Rasos Cemetery in Vilnius to pay tribute to the victims of the January Uprising of 1863–1864. The presidents of Poland and Lithuania also participated in this event.

Zelenskiy assessed the January Uprising as a joint struggle of the peoples of Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus against Russian colonialism. During the dialogue, the parties discussed the political situation in Belarus and raised the issue of strengthening sanctions against the Alexander Lukashenko regime.

Furthermore, the necessity of developing a joint strategy together with international partners was emphasized. Zelenskiy sharply criticized the current political situation in Belarus, noting that the country is being forced to live under Russian influence.

Tikhanovskaya proposed appointing a special representative for Belarus in Ukraine. This initiative is aimed at transferring bilateral relations to a solid foundation.

In turn, Zelenskiy invited Tikhanovskaya to Kyiv on an official visit. This step is of great importance for deepening dialogue between Belarus and Ukraine.

In his speech, President Zelenskiy stressed that it is vital for Europe not to lose any people, including the Belarusian people. He regretted that sufficient assistance was not provided to the Belarusian people during the events of 2020 and expressed hope for the future.

This meeting with Tikhanovskaya is expected to create new opportunities in the regional geopolitical situation.