Zelenskyy meets Belarusian opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya in Kyiv for first-ever bilateral talks on Ukrainian soil
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Kyiv on Tuesday, quipping that Lukashenko had called for a meeting between the two countries' presidents — and Tsikhanouskaya showed up instead, the offices of both leaders announced.
Tsikhanouskaya participated in the Fourth International Summit of Cities and Regions, at which Belarus was represented for the first time this year.
"Recently, [self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko said it was time for the presidents of Ukraine and Belarus to meet. How interesting it turned out: Lukashenko said it — and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya arrived. Glad to see you, Sviatlana," Zelenskyy said during his address at the summit.
The Ukrainian leader also held a separate bilateral meeting with Tsikhanouskaya and her team, during which they discussed Belarusian-Ukrainian relations.
"We all support the Belarusian people's aspiration to free themselves from Russian interference, and we know that Russia is now trying to draw Belarus even deeper into this war against Ukraine. We value every expression of support from Belarusians for a free Ukraine, and we know that the day will come when our two countries will again have good-neighborly relations based on the genuine independence of both Ukraine and Belarus from Moscow," Zelenskyy added.
Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Kyiv for her first-ever visit on Monday. Upon arrival, she visited the grave of Belarusian volunteer Maria Zaitseva, who was killed fighting for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy and Tsikhanouskaya held their first bilateral meeting in Vilnius in January 2026, at which the Ukrainian president invited her to visit Kyiv.