Viachorka: Sikorski's meeting with Ryzhankov could harm attitudes towards Belarusians in Europe

This opinion was expressed by Franak Viačorka, senior advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, on the "Morning with Belsat" program.

Franak Viačorka called this year's participation of Belarusian democratic forces in the UN General Assembly very successful. He specifically highlighted a side-event—a ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the Assembly. The politician emphasized that previously there had been no such level, "where 12 ministers and vice-ministers would attend."

Representatives of the democratic forces also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Maksim Ryzhankov.

"We were talking to the Austrian Foreign Minister, I see Ryzhankov coming out, I approach the delegation, extend my hand, he also extends it, comes a meter closer, then looks, flinches, hides his hand. I say: 'No, let's talk.' Because Aleinik, the previous minister, was very open, talked, and greeted people, but this one is just so cowardly. <…>. He started saying something there, beggars, you walk around with a hat, begging, he started his whole saga. I say, let's just talk. Well, he ran away."

According to Viačorka, such behavior by the minister shows the essence of the official Belarusian authorities: they want to talk to the West, get money to have sanctions lifted, but they don't want to talk to Belarusians.

One of the main news from the General Assembly was Ryzhankov's meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.

According to Viačorka, representatives of the democratic forces spoke with Sikorski before and after that meeting. As the head of the Polish Foreign Ministry recounted, the conversation with Ryzhankov was a response to a request from Minsk — "they really wanted this meeting, and the minister gave them a chance."

"I know that this communication happens constantly, so it's not true that there's no dialogue. But it's like a credit. You want to talk? Well, here you go. You want a photo too? Yes, they asked for a photo themselves and published it themselves. But are they ready to do something? Because this is not the first meeting. There have been so many of these meetings this year. <…>. And some say that after every meeting, things only got worse. So, let's see what Minsk will do. Because one must look not at words, but at deeds," Tsikhanouskaya's advisor says.

Minsk knows perfectly well what needs to be done for relations to improve, Viačorka emphasizes. For Poland, important issues are border security, migrants, and stopping provocations. For Belarusians, it's important that people are released and repressions stop. For Ukraine, it's that Belarus stops supporting the war. But Minsk, as it currently appears, doesn't want to do anything, but wants dialogue for dialogue's sake.

"Just meet with us, take photos, pretend that we have a thaw and normalization, but we won't do anything. But everyone understands everything. Minister Sikorski has been through this many times. The same thing happened 15 years ago, but he wants to give a chance. I don't think this indicates that everything is going well; perhaps it's precisely a signal that everything could be going in a bad direction. Because the general discussion at the UN was about potential escalation, and Russia could indeed expand the war. And perhaps this is not a positive, but rather an alarming bell," the politician notes.

According to Viačorka, Minsk is now afraid that Russia will drag Belarus into the war, and this will primarily hit Lukashenka. He understands what consequences await him and is looking for options. Although it is unlikely that he still has independence and sovereignty today.

Tsikhanouskaya's advisor emphasizes that she is received at the level of prime ministers and presidents in capitals. Sikorski's meeting with Ryzhankov on the sidelines, however, is a completely different level, "simply heaven and earth," and "Lukashenka needs to take many steps to legitimize himself and return to the Western world."

There are, however, certain risks in Sikorski's meeting with Ryzhankov, Viačorka noted. If this news and talks that the situation is normalizing, improving, "are widely covered in the media," it could harm attitudes towards Belarusians in Europe.

"As if to say, if the situation has normalized, then return to Belarus. But people will be imprisoned there. Europe won't provide asylum. Such a risk exists. And therefore, it is even more important to explain that there is no decrease in repressions, that political prisoners continue to be held.

Because only news that 15 people have been pardoned enters the Western information agenda. We don't even know who was actually pardoned, we don't have names. But this news went through, and, for example, migration authorities: "Oh, so everyone has been pardoned there now."

Therefore, there are great risks, and we need to work even harder, to convey even more information. On the one hand, it's good that there's some chance, and people are released, on the other hand, we need to explain that the nature of the regime has not changed, systemic changes are needed," Viačorka reflects.

The issue of systemic changes is being raised by the American delegation. John Kohl speaks about the need to stop the vicious practice of releasing some while imprisoning others. It is clear that this makes Lukashenka uncomfortable, Tsikhanouskaya's advisor notes.

In this situation, it is important not to rush to lift sanctions, Viačorka believes. If all restrictions are lifted now, the situation in Belarus will freeze — there will be repressions and political prisoners. This cannot be allowed, the politician is convinced.

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