US President Joe Biden met Wednesday with Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya at the White House, where he expressed support for the Belarusian people’s aspirations for democracy.
“I was honored to meet with @Tsihanouskaya at the White House this morning,” Biden said in a tweet, referring to the exiled opposition figure who is on a visit to Washington as the Biden administration vows increased pressure on strongman Alexander Lukashenko.
“The United States stands with the people of Belarus in their quest for democracy and universal human rights,” he added.
Tikhanovskaya says she easily won last year’s Belarus election in which the pro-Moscow Lukashenko claimed to secure a sixth term.
She has been speaking with officials in Washington seeking assurances that the United States will take active steps to help Belarusians bring about democratic changes.
Tikhanovskaya thanked Biden for what she described as “a powerful sign of solidarity with millions of fearless Belarusians who are peacefully fighting for their freedom.”
“Today, Belarus is on the frontline of the battle between democracy and autocracy,” she said on Twitter. “The world stands with us. Belarus will be a success story.”
Tikhanovskaya, previously a stay-at-home mother, ran for the presidency in place of her husband who was detained before the election. She fled to Lithuania for safety as security forces cracked down on protests.
This week before her Biden meeting she held talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and said she presented him with a list of companies on which she hopes the United States can impose further sanctions.
She also met Tuesday with Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan, as well as members of Congress.
In a separate statement on social media platform Telegram, Tikhanovskaya said she “urged President Biden to help us make Belarus a successful example of a nonviolent transition to democracy.”
“I am leaving the White House confident that the voice of millions of Belarusians has been heard,” she added.
