Nothing about Belarusians without Belarusians
Thesis of speech by Pavel Latushka, Member of the Coordination Council Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, at the EPP Political Group
Dear colleagues,
Since 2020, Belarus has been going through one of the most dramatic periods in its modern history. Since then, the Lukashenka regime has unleashed a massive campaign of repression against the Belarusian people — unprecedented in scale in modern Europe.
These widespread repressions continue on a daily basis. According to information from the human rights centre Viasna, dozens of people have been convicted on politically motivated charges in Belarus in just the past few days. Among them are a veterinarian, a teacher, a kindergarten worker, an IT specialist, a bank employee, and an aviation professional. The regime is prosecuting people from every profession and every section of Belarusian society.
As of September 2026, the so-called “list of extremists” already contains 6,930 people. The so-called “list of organizations and groups involved in extremist activities,” which is used for political persecution, includes 377 entities. In addition, the so-called “list of persons involved in terrorist activities” contains 1,475 people, 726 of whom are Belarusian citizens. The majority of people are placed on these lists only as part of politically motivated persecution.
We see absolutely no change in Lukashenka’s domestic policy of repression. As political prisoners are released, the regime sends new people to prison in their place. Today, this has become a conveyor belt of repression.
However, domestic repression is only one side of the coin. At the same time, while suppressing the Belarusian people, the regime is actively contributing to the escalation of tensions in the region and supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Since the beginning of 2026, we have been observing continuous military activity. Since August 24, dozens of large-scale military exercises have been launched involving the armed forces across all branches of the military: the Air Force and Air Defence Forces, artillery brigades, tank battalions, signal troops, as well as the territorial defence forces.
Across Belarus, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is also actively conducting exercises focused on suppressing protests, while exercises involving the Internal Troops are also taking place.
Lukashenka has appointed a former Chief of the General Staff as a deputy head of his administration, with responsibility for military affairs, despite the fact that there is already a State Secretary of the Security Council responsible for the military sphere.
In practice, this means coordinating the entire civilian system of government with the Belarusian armed forces in wartime, from the central level down to the local level. A coordinator has been appointed to oversee this policy and assess war readiness at every level, from districts to regions.
Lukashenka is also actively contributing to Russia’s aggression. Hundreds of Belarusian enterprises are working for Russia’s defence industry. Russia uses Belarusian infrastructure to facilitate and guide drone strikes against Ukraine, and now also against the Baltic Sea region.
It is important to have no illusions about this: Lukashenka is not a “mediator”. Lukashenka is an aggressor and a direct ally of the Kremlin.
Double-track strategy
We welcome and support the efforts of the United States to secure the release of political prisoners in Belarus. However, the fundamental problem remains: the conveyor belt of repression. The Americans secure the release of some political prisoners, some sanctions are lifted, and Lukashenka puts new people behind bars. And this cycle can continue for a very long time.
So, to achieve real, rather than cosmetic political change in our country, we propose a double-track strategy.
First, the United States, using its sanctions mechanisms against the regime, as well as tools of non-traditional diplomacy, has the necessary influence and resources to secure the release of all political prisoners and bring an end to repression.
Second, we call upon the European Union and other democratic nations to consistently apply sanctions mechanisms as leverage to achieve real, systemic changes in Belarus.
This represents the unified position of the democratic forces—the United Transitional Cabinet led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and the majority of the Coordination Council: conditions must be imposed on Lukashenko. A national dialogue, utilizing a round-table mechanism, is required to resolve the deep domestic political crisis in Belarus.
I would like to emphasise that the national dialogue strategy we are proposing is also supported by the European Union. In the 2024 Council Conclusions on Belarus, point 5 states:
"The EU calls on the authorities of Belarus to engage in a genuine and inclusive dialogue with all elements of society with a view to holding free and fair elections, under the observation of the OSCE/ODIHR and in accordance with internationally recognised standards".
And we ask you not to decide the fate of Belarus without our participation. Any deals with the regime made behind the back of Belarusian society are doomed to fail. Only a dialogue that includes Belarus’s democratic forces as a subject, facilitated by European democratic states, can guarantee genuine change in Belarus.
Our fundamental principle remains unchanged: “Nothing about Belarusians without Belarusians!”
Thank you for your attention.
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