Join Ms. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader of Belarus and Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss the Belarusian opposition, her fight for freedom, and the importance of countering Russian aggression in Europe. With Belarus at the center of geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discusses the nature of the Stalinist Lukashenka regime and mechanisms used to maintain their grip on power, what the opposition has accomplished and its future priorities, including the release of political prisoners and holding free and fair elections, her views on the war in Ukraine, and the future of Belarus and other democracies relative to the axis of aggressors of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. For more information about this episode, visit: https://www.hoover.org/research/belarus-opposition-and-fight-freedom?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=bg_description Pick up a copy of "Battlegrounds: The Fight To Defend The Free World," by H.R. McMaster here - https://www.hoover.org/research/battlegrounds-fight-defend-free-world?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=bg_youtube ABOUT THE GUEST SPEAKER Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the National Leader of Belarus and Head of the United Transitional Cabinet. Independent observers determined that Tsikhanouskaya won the Belarusian presidential election on August 9, 2020, defeating the long-standing dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Tsikhanouskaya entered the presidential race after the Lukashenko regime arrested her husband for declaring his own candidacy. The regime forced her into exile, but she inspired mass peaceful protests throughout Belarus. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Tsikhanouskaya launched an anti-war movement to prevent Belarus’ involvement and led underground resistance efforts against Russian troops. She has advocated for the release of over 1,500 political prisoners and free and fair elections, earning her numerous international awards and two Nobel Peace Prize nominations. __________ The opinions expressed on this channel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University. © 2025 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University. 🔔 Subscribe for more discussions: @HooverInstitution 👍 Like and share this video! 🌐 Follow us on social media: • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooverInstStanford • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hoover-institution-at-stanford-university • Instagram: https://instagram.com/hooverinstitution • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hooverinstitution • X: https://www.twitter.com/HooverInst