Alexander Lukashenko during the election. Photo: russian media.
On 26 January 2025, Belarus will hold a vote, officially called the presidential election. However, as Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi noted during a media briefing, the reality of these elections has nothing to do with democratic standards.According to Tykhyi, the results of the vote were practically known in advance, and they are not a surprise for Ukraine, Time Ukraine Israel reports, citing the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Legitimacy of the elections: Ukraine’s position
“For us, these elections have no grounds to be recognised as legitimate, as Alexander Lukashenko is likely to remain an ally of Putin, continuing to support aggression against Ukraine. This is contrary to the interests of the Belarusian people, who, unfortunately, do not have the opportunity to express their true will under the conditions when the country is under a dictatorial regime,” said the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Lack of conditions for fair elections
Heorhiy Tykhyi stressed that Ukraine stands in solidarity with the position of the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other democratic states, which state that Belarus does not have the basic conditions for holding fair and transparent elections. According to him, the country currently lacks the proper conditions for organising a genuine electoral process in accordance with international OSCE standards.
Violations of the rights of Belarusian citizens
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also mentioned a significant number of Belarusians who are forced to stay abroad due to political persecution and are unable to participate in the elections. “These citizens cannot return to Belarus because of the threat of arrest or detention. Such facts affect the fairness of the electoral process and, of course, distort its results,” Tikhiy added.
Ukraine supports the right of Belarusians to genuine democratic elections
The Ukrainian side believes that the Belarusian people have the right to genuine democratic elections that will allow them to choose their government without external interference, including the dictates of Russia. “Belarus has the right to independently decide its future without Moscow’s imperial encroachment, and without their future being determined by someone else’s will,” said Georgiy Tykhyi.
Gratitude to Belarusians who support Ukraine
At the end of his speech, Tykhyi expressed his gratitude to those Belarusians who are currently helping Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression, including those who are taking part in the military operations. “We appreciate their support and respect their choice. They are bringing not only our victory closer, but also real democratic changes in their country,” he concluded.
