This morning.
The death
toll is rising in eastern Ukraine
after a barrage of new Russian
missile strikes.
Ukrainian officials say
at least two people were killed.
Dozens more injured in Sloviansk
several high rise
buildings, civilian buildings
that were targeted
were reduced to rubble and ashes.
Explosions also rocking
the Russian occupied city of Melita Paul.
This dash cam video
capturing the billowing smoke.
These strikes came less than 24 hours
after Vladimir
Putin announced plans to move
and station tactical nuclear weapons
like the ones in this missile.
Here we're showing you in Belarus,
Putin says he wants to store them
there, buy summer,
which means they could be
closer to Ukraine,
but also to NATO's borders.
With me now is the Belarusian
political activist and opposition leader,
Ana Tic a.k.a.
Nice to have you on again. Good morning.
First,
I want to ask you about Putin's
threat here
to move nuclear weapons to Belarus.
Does this in your view amount to Russia
threatening Ukraine
with a nuclear attack,
facilities aiming to subjugate Belarus
and it violates our constitution.
It violates international security.
And of course, it's against those
people's will.
We are non-nuclear country,
and we don't want to deploy
anybody, deploy
a nuclear weapon in our state.
He's made nuclear threats before,
as have other Russian
officials, including
former president as well, Medvedev.
Are these just threats or do you believe
he may actually use such weapons?
I think the dictators in this difficult
situation for them can make crazy steps.
But I think the democratic world
has to show that
it will not be tolerated.
And the strong steps must be made
in order to stop this.
The steps from from fulfilling
as you know, Putin has at times
pressured the Belarussian
President, Lukashenko, to supply forces
and wealth weapons to help
in his invasion. Of Ukraine.
It hasn't happened yet.
Do you believe it may happen now
as the Russian
president makes plans to move
nuclear weapons there?
So actually, it's a wrong perception.
That Putin pushes
Lukashenka to do something.
They are on the one side of this war.
They call up runs.
Lukashenko became
fully complicit in this war
and he fulfills all the orders of Putin.
The fact
that the Russian troops
haven't been sent to
Belarus is not the merit of Lukashenko.
It's merit of builders
and people who are against
participation of builders in this war.
And our soldiers don't have anti
Ukrainian moods.
They don't want to kill
or to be killed on the battlefields.
For the ambitions of observers.
And Lukashenka
is responsible for crimes
of aggression against Ukraine.
And he has to be called
a sponsor
of terrorism,
and they have to be
brought to accountability for this.
You I should remind people watching,
they may not be aware, but.
But you ran against
Lukashenko for president.
You say the election
was stolen from you, from you,
and since then you paid a price.
Your husband is still held
in a Russian prison
more than two years now.
Do you feel that
the world is overlooking
Russia's aggression in Belarus?
Of course
there's a war in Ukraine,
but that Belarus is not
getting the attention it deserves.
I think that at the moment Belarus is
actually overlooked
and maybe not all
the politicians understand
the rule of Belarus.
In regional peace and security.
And I really want the U.S.
President Biden
and State Department
to look more deeply into this problem
and not to leave Belarus
for one day later,
you know, after we'll deal with Ukraine,
and then we will return to Belarus.
We don't have to forget that person
people now are fighting not only against
Lukashenko's regime,
but also against hybrid
occupation of Russia.
In Belarus,
we see the increasing level
of violence, repressions.
Thousands of people are in prisons
for politically motivated cases.
Hundreds of thousands had to flee Belarus
because of repression.
And one day we can wake up
and see that Beatrice has lived
as a consolation prize for Putin.
And I'm sure that Belarus is a key state
for keeping security in Europe.
You're in Washington
this week to meet with U.S.
officials in part.
Is the U.S.
doing enough for Belarus, in your view?
In all
the nations who are going through
violations of their rights,
who are in difficult position
assure that much more could be done.
You know, and we are grateful to the U.S.
for all the
excellent solidarity
and support to our people.
But I think that
more pressure can be imposed on
the Russian Belarusian regime
and more support
can be provided to those people who are
who are resisting.
Now, to all this.
And also, we are calling now
an international community
to bring Lukashenko to accountability
through possible mechanisms like ICC.
You can start investigation
of his crimes
against humanity
and crimes of aggression.
But several steps
have been made to recently by the U.S.
just to a new package of sanctions and
a launch of strategic
dialog with democratic
Belarus was started.
And we are proceed this step.
Also, special envoy
will be sent to democratic forces
to Lithuania
to make to build this bridges
between our countries.
I want to ask you about your husband.
He's serving an 18 year
prison sentence simply
for challenging Lukashenko.
You have not been able to speak to him
for I believe, more than two years now.
Do you have any idea
what his state of health is
and what his prospects are for release.
So all our political prisoners, including
my husband, are ill treated,
humiliated physically
and morally in prisons.
So they are in extremely poor position
there, but they're keeping strong.
They know that
the Russian society
and the international world
are fighting for them.
You know, they believe in us.
They believe in international laws
and in solidarity.
And I think that
we can betrayed them.
We have
to release
all of our political prisoners
and get rid of this regime in Belarus.
Well, we wish you the best luck
and we hope your family is reunited soon.