Belarusian exiled leader and Ukraine’s President shook hands in Kyiv—at a 24-country summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanoŭskaya in Kyiv on 26 May, Zelenskyy's Telegram channel reported. The meeting took place at a 24-country summit, mostly of European nations. They discussed Russia's attempts to drag Belarus deeper into its war against Ukraine.
What the meeting covered
Zelenskyy said Russia is "trying to drag Belarus even more into this war against Ukraine." He praised the support for a free Ukraine by Belarusians and said Ukraine has never threatened Belarus. He looked ahead to a future of good-neighbor relations based on independence from Moscow.
Sviatlana Tsikhanoŭskaya makes her first ever Kyiv visit—her train ticket reads “Przemyśl — Free Kyiv — Free Minsk”
Tsikhanoŭskaya's delegation included Pavel Latushka, her deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet, and advisers Franak Viačorka and Dzianis Kučynski. Her Telegram confirmed the meeting and delegation without further details. She had earlier called the visit historic and said Ukraine's victory could open a "window of opportunity" for Belarus.
From hedging to solidarity: how Belarus’s exiled opposition came to stand with Ukraine
The 24-country Kyiv summit also included Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, and Romania. Tsikhanoŭskaya's exiled team represented Belarus instead of the Lukashenka regime.
Ukraine's leader and Tsikhanoŭskaya first met in Vilnius on 25 January 2026.
