Exiled opponents of Belarus regime have a plan for victory — and it could start with Ukraine
CBC
It's being called the Pieramoha Plan — the "Victory Plan."
Never heard of it? You're not alone.
The plan for civil resistance in Belarus being touted by opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya — who is in Canada this week and is set to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — has received very little attention in the West.
The world has been focused instead on the shooting war in Ukraine. Tsikhanouskaya, who sat down with Canadian journalists for a roundtable this week, acknowledged that her country and the actions of the autocratic regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko are often forgotten in the current crisis.
"We see that sometimes the participation of [the] Lukashenko regime is overlooked," said Tsikhanouskaya, who forcefully points out that Moscow would not have been able to do what it has in Ukraine without a pliable regime in Belarus.
Tsikhanouskaya is widely considered to have won the 2020 presidential election. She was driven into exile following a brutal crackdown on opposition by Lukashenko.
In her wide-ranging discussion with Canadian reporters, she — along with her advisers — explained how a victory in Ukraine is key to toppling the current Beralrusian leadership.
"We don't see Ukrainians as our enemies," Tsikhanouskaya said. "We are very close nations and we always had a good relationship."
That may be true for the people — it's not necessarily true of the governments. While Ukraine has a history of being more western-oriented in its outlook, experts say Belarus has looked more toward Moscow for its political, economic and military support.
The opposition-in-exile saw an opportunity earlier this year with the onset of full-blown hostilities in Ukraine to set up an office where they have coordinated activities with the Ukrainian government.
"We distribute leaflets with honest news. We sent information about the deployment of Russian troops and missile launchers to warn the Ukrainian army," Tsikhanouskaya said. "Partisans carry out sabotage actions on the railways to prevent the advance of Russian equipment and weapons."
The opposition employs hackers who, Tsikhanouskaya claimed, successfully infiltrated an unidentified Russian state oversight agency and obtained two terabytes of data and correspondence which will be shared with the media.
But Tsikhanouskaya said the Belarusian opposition believes that "there should be partnership between our countries when the war is over."
And that is where the "victory plan" kicks in.
