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Salzburg Global Fellow Valery Kavaleuski on Belarus' proposed membership in the EU, relations with the West, and Belarus-Russian relations

Photo Credit: Katrin Kerschbaumer

Valery Kavaleuski is the Representative for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Head in the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus headed by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. In this position, he oversees the UTC missions to Brussels and Kyiv. Valery conducts broad diplomatic activities to preserve independence and realize democratic change in Belarus.

Oluwadamilola Akintewe, Salzburg Global Communications Intern: In the context of the Russian war in Ukraine, how can Belarus defend its own independence and sovereignty? 

Valery Kavaleuski, Representative for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Head in the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus: The aggression of Russia against Ukraine has created a grave threat to Belarus' independence. This question has become central for us, in addition to the political and human rights crisis in Belarus. We’re talking about the survival of the Belarusian state and nation in this context because Russia views Ukraine and Belarus in a very similar light as temporary independent states that sooner or later would have to come back to Russia's control. This is why it is vehemently opposing any attempts of neighboring states, including Belarus and Ukraine, to choose their own independent future, such as joining the European Union…This encroachment in Belarus is rather aggressive but it is not as visualized as in Ukraine. Hence, the methods are different, but the destination is the same. Belarus needs to become an independent state. In this regard, we must work with international organizations, the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union, bilateral partners, and neighboring states who have a vested interest in seeing Belarus as an independent country. It is hard to imagine how Ukraine would maintain peace and security on its territory if Belarus remains under the control of Putin and continues to be used for aggression.

OA: How is the conflict in Ukraine affecting human rights in the wider region? 

VK: The war against Ukraine has been the epicenter of human rights abuses and war crimes against Ukrainians. Unfortunately, this conflict is not limited to our region. There are implications for various countries in other regions of the world. We can mention food security and energy prices, but it has also undermined international law and human rights law. The conflict in Israel has a direct connection to this crisis. Russia is trying to establish these proxy conflicts to distract Western governments from Ukraine to the Middle East to ensure that Ukraine receives less political support and military support. So, there are significant repercussions for the global community and for the countries that are involved in this.

OA: Why does Belarus want to join the EU?

VK: There are three main tracks I would name when we think about why we want to be in the European Union. In the first place, it has become unsafe for Belarus to be in close relations with Russia because it's trying to subjugate us and take away our national identity, our independence, and our sovereignty…The second is pragmatism. We understand that being in close relations with European member states and with the EU provides a lot of opportunities for economic growth and for developing social systems. The third, and probably the most important one, is about values. This is about human rights and democratic institutions, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and the oversight of people in the government. These three tracks of values, pragmatism, and security are very important, and they are driving this idea of us being part of the EU.

OA: What collaborative approaches are needed to support the democratic aspirations of Belarusians?

VK: It is important that Belarusians participate in the conversation about themselves. This representation strengthens our agency and shows that Belarusians oversee their own future. We have received support and attention from our Western partners, but I think this job could be better done. Now we have a flagship project on issuing our own passports to Belarusians. In Belarus, there are about nine million people and two million are abroad now. Recently, the Russian regime launched a repression against Belarusians who live abroad. It refuses to replace expired passports. An applicant would have to come home for this, which is very unsafe, as people end up in prisons or worse. We have launched this project to issue our own passports…we will be working with governments and international organizations to recognize those passports for Belarus citizens. This is going to be our major objective, and it's very important for us to see the reciprocity in action from our partner states that they support this initiative. This precedent could be useful for other undocumented refugees, and there are millions of them across the world. If people do not have documents, this can be paralyzing to their life. We hope that this becomes a precedent that helps others, not only those in Belarus.

OA: What do you see as the future of Belarus-Russian relations? 

VK: We have already adopted an approach to revising relations with Russia because of its aggressive behavior and colonialist approach to its neighbors along its entire perimeter. We will have to denounce some of the agreements that we have with them… We want to make distance with Russia and ensure that the dependence on Russia is reduced as much as possible. We are talking not only about economic or financial independence, but also about ideological, political, and foreign policy issues. We have to limit their interference in our information space because they are using it to drive their propaganda by spreading disinformation about Belarusians and about the rest of the world… We need to limit its presence in Belarus to a healthy level, and then we will decide how to form and shape it in a way that is consistent with the national interests of Belarus, not with the personal interests of the people who control the country. This is why it's important for us to have a very positive alternative, membership of the European Union, which is very clear, rational, and well substantiated.

Valery Kavaleuski is a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Pathways to Peace Initiative titled “Bear With Us: What Is to Be Done About Russia?” in October 2023. This program enabled experts to convene at Salzburg Global Seminar for a high-level dialogue exploring scenarios and questions about what options exist to engage, contain, and hold Russia accountable in a post-war context.