The leader of the Belarusian opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, arrived in Kyiv, starting her visit by honoring the memory of Belarusian volunteer Maria Zaitseva, who died in the war against Russia. She announced this on her Telegram channel.
This is reported by Finway
Beginning of the visit: honoring the memory of Maria Zaitseva
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, immediately after arriving in Kyiv, visited the grave of Maria Zaitseva along with members of her team – Pavel Latushka and Valery Matskevich. Zaitseva actively participated in the protests in Belarus in 2020, and in January 2025, she died in battles in the Pokrovsk direction, defending Ukraine from Russian aggression. At the time of her death, she was only 24 years old.
“The first thing I did upon arriving in Kyiv was to visit the grave of Maria Zaitseva right from the train. She symbolizes not only our resistance to dictatorship but also Ukrainian-Belarusian solidarity. It was very important for me to start this visit by honoring a person who gave her life for the freedom of Ukraine and Belarus,” she commented.
Plans and topics for negotiations in Kyiv
During her stay in Kyiv, Tikhanovskaya plans to discuss with the Ukrainian authorities the prospects for cooperation between the democratic forces of Belarus and Ukraine, as well as strengthening international coordination against Russian aggression and the Lukashenko regime. Among the key issues are support for Belarusian volunteers and their families, the opening of a mission for Belarusian democratic forces in Kyiv, the development of political dialogue, and the appointment of a special representative for relations with democratic Belarus.
In an interview with the Belarusian service of Radio Free Europe, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called her visit to Kyiv historic and noted that she aims to discuss with the Ukrainian side the issues of Belarusians living or fighting in Ukraine. She emphasized that Ukraine’s victory will open a “window of opportunities” for democratic changes in Belarus and expressed a categorical position against easing European sanctions on the Lukashenko regime.
It is expected that during the visit, a series of important meetings and negotiations will take place aimed at strengthening Belarusian-Ukrainian solidarity and supporting democratic processes in the region. The arrival of Tikhanovskaya in Kyiv was announced by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.