Svetlana Tihanovskaia, the leader of the Belarusian opposition, arrived in Kyiv for the first time since the beginning of the Russian invasion, in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

The Belarusian opposition leader in exile, Svetlana Tihanovskaia, made a visit to Kyiv on Monday, marking her first appearance in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. This visit symbolizes solidarity with the Ukrainian people, in the context where Ukraine has strengthened its northern border with Belarus, fearing possible Russian attacks from that direction. Jianis Kucinski, Tihanovskaia's advisor, emphasized on social media that the visit is a symbol of the common struggle for freedom. Tihanovskaia was forced to leave Belarus after the contested elections in 2020, which led to massive protests and violent reprisals. During the visit, she honored the memory of Maria Zaizeva, a young Belarusian who fought in the Ukrainian army and was killed in battle. Tihanovskaia stated that the freedom of Belarus and Ukraine are interconnected, highlighting that dozens of Belarusians have joined Ukrainian forces after the Russian invasion. Against the backdrop of this visit, French President Emmanuel Macron warned Belarus against involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.