Belarus opposition says fate of country, Ukraine intertwined

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Belarus’ opposition leader says the fate of Belarus and Ukraine are “interconnected” and both countries have to fight together for their very existence because Russia doesn’t view them as independent sovereign states. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania after Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory in disputed August 2020 elections. She told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly that “there will be no free Belarus without free Ukraine.” Tsikhanouskaya said she came to the United Nations to give voice to the people “who are fighting the dictatorship.”