LEADER SVETLANA TIKHANOVSKAYA IS
IN THE U.S. MEETING WITH BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS.
HER GOAL TO BUILD UP SUPPORT FOR
THOSE TARGETING THOSE
LUKASHENKO.
SHE CHALLENGED LUKEASHENKOLUKASH
ELECTION RUNNING IN PLACE OF HER
HUSBAND WHO PLANNED TO RUN
BEFORE HE WAS ARRESTED.
FOLLOWING THE ELECTION,
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS
DESCRIBED THEM AS NOT
TRANSPARENT, FREE OR FAIR.
SHE WAS FORCED TO FLEE TO
LITHUANIA.
JOINING ME NOW IS VET LANA
TIKHANOVSKAYA.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ONCE
AGAIN.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION EARLY
ON SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE
PUTTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE
DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY AT THE
CENTER OF THEIR FOREIGN POLICY.
WHEN IT COMES TO BELARUSS CASE,
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HAS BEEN THE
CASE SO FAR?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
NOW IN THIS STRUGGLE BETWEEN
DEMOCRACY, BELARUS IS ON THE
FRONT LINE.
AND OF COURSE, FOR THE COUNTRIES
THAT WIDESPREAD DEMOCRATIC
FAILURES, THOSE COUNTRIES SHOULD
BE REBUILT AT A DIFFICULT TIME
WHEN WERE FIGHTING AGAINST
REGIME, AGAINST VIOLENCE AND FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS IN OUR COUNTRY.
YEAH.
>> I KNOW THAT YOU MET WITH THE
SECRETARY OF STATE, TONY
BLINKEN.
YOU ALSO MET WITH THE NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN.
TELL US ABOUT THOSE MEETINGS.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
SPECIFICALLY DO NEXT AND DID
THEY COMMIT TO YOU THAT THEY
WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHATEVER
THEY PROMISED?
>> I HAD MORE MEETINGS IN THE
STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE WHITE
HOUSE.
AND I WAS SURPRISED HOW INVOLVED
OFFICIALS ARE IN THIS SITUATION
IN BELARUS.
OF COURSE I UPDATED INFORMATION
ABOUT THE SITUATION IN OUR
COUNTRY, ABOUT VIOLENCE,
ESCALATEING OF THE VIOLENCE BY
THE REGIME.
AND I ASKED TO PUT PRESSURE ON
THE REGIME WITH THE HELP OF
SANCTION, STRONGER SANCTIONS, TO
MAKE REGIME ANSWER TO OUR CALLS
FOR DIALOGUE.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND, OUR
PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING GREATLY ON
THE GROUND AND THOSE WHO HAD TO
FLEE.
AND WE NEED TO INCREASE
ASSISTANCE TO THOSE WHO ARE
FIGHTING ON THE GROUND, TO MASS
MEDIA, TO POLITICAL PRISONS, OF
COURSE.
AND TO ATTACK THIS REGIME FROM
THESE TWO SIDES.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS AT
ALL THAT BY INCREASING SANCTIONS
ON PRESIDENT LUKASHENKO, THAT IT
MAY ONLY DRIVE HIM CLOSER TO
PRESIDENT PUTIN, PERHAPS EVEN
MAKE HIM MORE OF AN
AUTHORITARIAN DOMESTICALLY AND
MAKE THIS SITUATION WORSE FOR
THOSE INSIDE FIGHTING FOR
FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY?
>> NO.
LUKASHENKOS RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE KREMLIN ARE ALREADY VERY
CLOSE AND THE LAST STEP IS LOSS
OF INDEPENDENCE.
BUT OUR INDEPENDENCE IS NOT FOR
TRADE.
OUR SOVEREIGNTY IS THE GREATEST
FAILURE FOR OUR PEOPLE AND OUR
PEOPLE ARE READY TO FIGHT FOR
IT.
AND I WARNED THE USA AS THE
GREATEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD
TO BE THE FORCE THAT ALL THE
DEALS THAT SIGNED BETWEEN
EX-PRESIDENT OF BELARUS AND ANY
OTHER COUNTRY WILL BE REVIEWED
IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE LUKASHENKO
IS ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENT OF
BELARUS.
>> I KNOW YOUR HUSBANDS BEEN
JAILED SINCE MAY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH
HIM?
HOW IS HE DOING?
>> HES ON HIS SO-CALLED TRIAL
AT THE MOMENT.
AND WE CAN COMMUNICATE ONLY
THROUGH THE LAWYER, BUT HES
KEEPING STRONG.
HES WONDERFUL, STRONG,
INTELLECTUAL PERSON.
AND HE UNDERSTANDS THAT HES