Poland was brave enough to support us when others didn’t, says exiled Belarusian opposition leader

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has praised Poland for its response to the political crisis in her country. She met Polish President Andrzej Duda yesterday, with the pair jointly attending the opening of Joe Biden’s virtual Summit for Democracy.

“[Poland] was one of the first countries to support the democratic movement in Belarus,” said Tsikhanouskaya, quoted by Onet. “That is why I respect this country very much. Other countries were not as brave as Poland.”

After their meeting, Duda expressed his hope that “the issue of Belarus will be raised not only by Poland, but also by other European and world leaders, because today it is an absolutely visible example of what happens when there is no democracy”.

Later, during President Biden’s opening remarks at his Summit for Democracy, Tsikhanouskaya sat alongside Duda. “I have invited [her] as a symbol of Belarus fighting for freedom,” said the Polish president.

During his own address to the summit, Duda focused almost entirely on Belarus. He called on the international community to show solidarity with Belarusians and join Poland as a “promoter of democracy…in eastern Europe”.

Poland’s invitation to Biden’s summit has drawn some controversy, given that Duda and the Polish government have themselves been widely accused of undermining democracy. The Brookings Institution, a think tank, called Poland one of the summit’s “awkward guests” due to its “democratic backsliding”.

During Tsikhanouskaya’s visit today, Duda also invited representatives of the Belarusian community in Poland – including victims of repression by Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko’s regime – to the presidential palace.

“You are here because many of you cannot return to your homeland,” said Duda. “I would like to assure you that on the one hand you are our guests, but on the other hand we treat you genuinely as brothers.”  He also likened their struggle to that of the Polish people against communism in the 1980s.

Since the outbreak of protests against Lukashenko in Belarus last year, Poland has been one of the most prominent international supporters of the democratic opposition. Tsikhanouskaya has made a number of visits to Warsaw to meet senior officials.

Poland has also extended various forms of aid and protection to Belarusians fleeing their country, including funding for NGOs, scholarships for students, and a programme to help Belarusian professionals and businesses seeking to move to Poland. It has given asylum to hundreds of Belarusian refugees.

Main image credit: Marek Borawski/KPRP

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.