Pavel Latushka: A round table would prevent the collapse of the state system and ensure a transition of power without shocks

Pavel Latushka

"Refusal to resolve the crisis internally and to engage in dialogue could lead to the country’s fate depending on external factors. The most dangerous of these is Russia", noted Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of NAM Pavel Latushka in an interview with one of Poland’s leading publications, Rzeczpospolita.

Lukashenko is deceiving the Americans

"Lukashenko is trying to negotiate with the Americans. He offered them a deal involving the sale of the $3.3 billion potash deposit in Nezhin…

At the same time, let’s look at the signals and statements sent to Lukashenko by U.S. President Donald Trump. During their first phone conversation, which took place on Air Force One, he emphasized the importance of releasing all political prisoners. Later, he wrote about this on Truth Social. What do we see in practice? In 2025, according to the human rights center Viasna, Lukashenko pardoned 342 people, while 509 people were granted political prisoner status, and 189 were deported. Thus, we see the reverse statistics. Repressions have not stopped — on the contrary, they are intensifying. At least 1,200 prisoners of conscience remain in Belarusian prisons.

Lukashenko is deceiving the Americans. And, as I believe, the Americans are not naive. Realistically, there will be no operation to remove Lukashenko from Minsk. However, at some point, the Americans may grow tired of these negotiations. They may get fed up with this game and then turn to other instruments of pressure on Lukashenko".

The solution — a round table

"The solution to the problem of power transition could be a round table. This is the most promising opportunity for our country to return to normal life in a civilized way. Such a path would allow for the lifting of sanctions and the return of foreign investments, avoid an uncontrolled collapse of the state system, and ensure a planned, democratic transition of power without shocks.

We know that Lukashenko does not want to talk and has never been — and is not — willing to engage in dialogue with the opposition. However, we clearly understand that the elites around Lukashenko are not homogeneous. Most of the representatives of the system formed around him support the preservation of the country’s independence and statehood. They must realize that after Lukashenko leaves, they could lose everything. They have seen what happened in Caracas. Refusal to resolve the crisis internally and to engage in dialogue could lead to the country’s fate depending on external factors. The most dangerous of these is Russia".

We are a subject

"We have survived the last five years. We are going through unprecedented repressions that Europe has not seen for decades. The institutions we created — the Office of Free Belarus Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the United Transitional Cabinet, the Coordination Council, thousands of activists — all of them are under criminal persecution in our country. If Brussels begins negotiating with Minsk behind our backs, this will mean a betrayal of our shared values".

Full interview of Pavel Latushka for Rzeczpospolita.

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