Ukraine's Foreign Minister Says Belarusian Opposition Leader Tsikhanouskaya to Visit Soon

What happened

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told a European Pravda correspondent that Ukraine is expecting a visit soon from Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Sybiha made the remarks during an online conference while returning from a NATO ministerial meeting, confirming the visit had not been previously announced and may occur as early as next week.

Sybiha criticized Belarus’s self-declared president Alexander Lukashenko, whom Kyiv holds responsible as an accomplice to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, dismissing Lukashenko’s proposal for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "very strange statement" and emphasizing that Ukraine has no interest in engaging with him. Instead, Ukraine seeks dialogue with Tsikhanouskaya on all matters related to Belarus.

The foreign minister highlighted a shared historical future between Ukraine and Belarus, framing Belarus as part of Europe and advocating Ukrainian support to help make Belarus a "European colleague." This stance points to Ukraine’s strategic policy to foster closer ties with opposition elements in Belarus rather than Minsk’s current leadership.

Known from the source

• Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine expects a visit from Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya soon.
• Sybiha made the statement during an online conference while returning from a NATO ministerial meeting.
• The visit had not been announced prior and may take place next week according to European Pravda.
• Ukraine continues to regard Alexander Lukashenko as an accomplice to the crime of aggression against Ukraine and has no interest in meeting him.
• Sybiha described Lukashenko’s public proposal for a Zelenskyy meeting as a "very strange statement."

What remains unclear

While details remain limited and the visit is pending confirmation beyond Sybiha’s statement, the announcement reflects Kyiv’s broader attempts to underpin Belarusian opposition forces, which could affect the balance of influence in the region as tensions with Russia and Belarus persist.

What remains unclear: Exact date and confirmation of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Ukraine. Any official statements from Ukrainian government or Belarusian opposition confirming or providing details of the planned visit. Verification of Lukashenko's quoted statement on meeting Zelenskyy. Contextual background on Belarus-Ukraine relations to support editorial framing.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Ukrainska Pravda English. Open the source.