Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was invited to speak at the assembly by the Icelandic presidency of the Nordic Council. This year’s headline for the Nordic high-level meeting is “Peace and Security in the Arctic”. In her speech, Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Nordic countries for their support:

“Through dark days, you always stood by us. You not only spoke of solidarity – you showed it. You believed in Belarusians long before the world started watching. We need Nordic support more than ever before. We need your powerful voice, your energy, your compassion, and solidarity to finish what we started back in 2020”.

President of the Nordic Council, Bryndís Haraldsdóttir is clear on the importance of standing firm to protect our values. Standing by the opposition in Belarus is in accordance with this position.

“We cannot be naive when it comes to security in the Arctic and the Nordic Region. We must resist attacks on the values that form the cornerstone of our societies in the Nordics – democracy, human rights, equality, and welfare. We need to remind ourselves that what’s happening in Ukraine, and to some extent Belarus, are attacks on our principal values. Listening to those who are fighting against such attacks is important, and we can only resist those who are trying to undermine democracy by standing united”, says Haraldsdóttir.

Preparing for a democratic future

Tsikhanouskaya underlined that Belarusians have not given up. Although war and repression have driven the protest underground, the people of Belarus have not changed their minds. They unite in communities and they spread honest news. According to Tsikhanouskaya, even regime officials are leaking important information to the public. Tsikhanouskaya now leads an exile government.

“In contrast to the regime, we work democratically and transparently. We serve Belarusians, both those inside the country and in exile. Soon, we even plan to issue our own passports, and we’ll ask the Nordics to endorse this initiative”, says Tsikhanouskaya.

Fatigue can be fatal for democracy

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s message was met with a standing ovation by members of the Nordic Council as she asked the Nordic countries to include Belarusian young people, media, and human rights groups in Nordic initiatives.  She also warned against giving in to war fatigue. She stressed that supporting the Belarusian democratic movement is not charity, it’s an investment. A free Belarus means security, stability, and peace across the European continent.

“To win, we need strategic patience. But more than that – we need strategic consistency. We must be firm and principled. Because, if we retreat, if we bargain our values and goals for short-term gains, democracy will lose”, said Tsikhanouskaya.