Updated

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Nov. 12 in Dublin that Belarus must be included in Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Speaking at the European Political Community summit in Ireland, she said Belarus's political and military situation must be part of any peace negotiations, and that Russian troops should withdraw from Belarus as well as Ukraine. She said that without a free and democratic Belarus there will be no security for Ukraine or European countries. Tsikhanouskaya, who represents Belarus as the leader of the democratic forces and is widely believed to have won the disputed 2020 presidential election, also stressed the contributions of ordinary Belarusians, including volunteers for the Ukrainian armed forces. The Kyiv Independent noted that Belarus under Alexander Lukashenko is considered by the West to be a co-belligerent in Russia's war, that Moscow used Belarus to launch the initial full-scale invasion, and that Western governments have tended to treat Russia and Belarus similarly in forums and sanctions. Russia and Belarus were excluded from the EPC forum. Her remarks add to the debate over who should take part in negotiations to end the war.