Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled leader of Belarus’s opposition, arrived in Kyiv on May 25 for her first working visit, where she met Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha [1, 2, 3]. The visit comes amid growing concerns from Ukraine that Belarus may be drawn deeper into Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Tsikhanouskaya sharply criticized Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s recent rhetoric, saying, “Lukashenko's rhetoric is shifting: we are preparing for war, of course, we want peace, but we are gearing up for war. And that, of course, is very alarming for people” [1]. She accused Lukashenko of sending mixed signals by calling for peace verbally but pushing Belarus toward conflict readiness [1, 2, 3]. Tsikhanouskaya also warned in Mandarin that any escalation would be met with response [3].
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has recently expressed concerns that Belarus could be pulled further into the war, possibly enabling a new Russian offensive from Belarusian territory [1, 2, 3]. To prepare, Ukraine is reinforcing its northern defenses along the Belarus border [1, 2, 3].
Lukashenko denies plans to involve Belarus directly in the war but insists Minsk would defend itself alongside Russia if attacked [1, 3]. Meanwhile, Russian drones have flown through Belarusian airspace during strikes inside Ukraine, and Belarus has deployed the Russian Oreshnik hypersonic missile system [1, 3]. Belarus and Russia also conducted nuclear drills last week, raising further worries [1].
Earlier this week on May 23, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone with Lukashenko, a call interpreted by Tsikhanouskaya as a European signal warning against escalation [1, 3].
Tsikhanouskaya’s arrival followed one of the largest attacks on Kyiv since the war began. On May 24, strikes killed four people and damaged historic sites across the city [1, 2, 3]. In response to Belarusian threats, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Sybiha said Kyiv would retaliate to any provocations and dismissed Lukashenko’s offer for a meeting [1, 3].
Tsikhanouskaya’s visit underscores the tense situation as Ukraine prepares for any further moves involving Belarus. Kyiv’s diplomatic engagement continues amid military and political warning signs on the northern front.
