{"id":145567,"date":"2025-07-07T12:12:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T09:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/145567\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"opposition-leader-urges-trump-to-maintain-pressure-on-lukasenka","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/145567\/","title":{"rendered":"Opposition leader urges Trump to maintain pressure on \u0141uka\u0161enka"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Donald Trump's Facebook page)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

July 7, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Washington should be prepared to reject Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s efforts to establish legitimacy as it is expanding contacts with Minsk after a five-year break in relations that followed the disputed 2020 election, Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja told Politico<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Don\u2019t normalize the situation where people are released for some concessions from your side, softening of sanctions or publicity. \u0141uka\u0161enka has to be punished, not rewarded,\u201d she said following the recent release of her dissident husband from prison in Belarus, where at least 1,160 other regime critics are still held behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski and 13 other prisoners were released on June 21 after the Belarusian ruler met Keith Kellogg, Trump\u2019s special envoy for Ukraine. The meeting sparked doubts about whether the Trump administration will maintain pressure on Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI trust that American partners. . . know who they\u2019re dealing with,\u201d Cichano\u016dskaja said, noting that Belarus could be \u201cPresident Trump\u2019s foreign policy success story\u201d if he and the US allies ensure the country is not handed to Russia as a consolation prize in talks to end the war on Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington can \u201cchange the whole security architecture of the region\u201d by leveraging power and sanctions to free more prisoners and push for systemic changes in Belarus, the politician stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aggressor cannot be rewarded, and peace in the region will not be possible with \u0141uka\u0161enka in power, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2022, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine in which \u0141uka\u0161enka and his officials supported the Kremlin, allowing Russian troops to attack Ukraine from Belarus on multiple occasions and supplying arms to Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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