Tsikhanouskaya to soon visit Ukraine, Kyiv says after snubbing Lukashenko
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Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is expected to visit Kyiv "in the near future," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told journalists on May 22.
The news comes after Ukraine dismissed a proposal by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky amid surging tensions between Kyiv and the Belarusian regime.
Sybiha stressed that Belarus has been Russia's "accomplice" since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion by allowing Moscow to use its territory for attacks on Ukraine.
The chief diplomat noted that there have been no official contacts with the Belarusian regime recently, dismissing Lukashenko's proposal to meet Zelensky as an "odd statement."
"We are expecting Tsikhanouskaya in Ukraine in the near future, so we have someone to talk to on all issues regarding Belarus," Sybiha said.
The Ukrainian minister referred to Tsikhanouskaya as "one of the leaders" of the Belarusian democratic forces.
"And we will welcome her in Kyiv, because it is important for us to maintain ties with the Belarusian people."
Zelensky warned recently that Moscow is preparing new offensives against Ukraine from the north while seeking to pull Belarus deeper into the war. He also said the Belarusian regime would face "consequences" if it further aids Russian aggression.
Tsikhanouskaya ran against Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election after her husband, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, was arrested. Despite Tsikhanouskaya receiving popular support and being broadly recognized as the winner, the regime overturned the election through massive vote rigging.
The opposition activist was forced to flee following a crackdown against her supporters, later establishing the United Transitional Cabinet in Vilnius as Belarus's government-in-exile.
Zelensky and Tsikhanouskaya first met in Vilnius in January 2026, discussing political prisoners in Belarus, sanctions policy, and accountability for Lukashenko and his regime.
