Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday recognized Belarusian Freedom Day, marking 108 years since the Belarusian People’s Republic (BNR) declared independence.
The BNR, declared in 1918, sought independence from Russia but was soon overrun by Soviet forces. Consequently, its political body, the Rada, has been in exile ever since and remains the world’s oldest existing government in exile.
In a statement, Ukrainian lawmaker Vadym Halaichuk said the day “reminds us that the pursuit of freedom is central to Belarusian identity.”
He said Belarus currently faces double control: from the government under Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, with longstanding allegations of human rights violations, and from Russia, which uses Belarus as a base for attacks on Ukraine.
“Under international law, Belarus is an occupied territory,” Halaichuk said, citing the Hague and Geneva Conventions. “Maintaining diplomatic relations with Minsk legitimizes a regime that harms our citizens.”
Halaichuk’s remarks and the commemoration coincided with Lukashenko’s historic visit to North Korea and recent US efforts to normalize ties with Minsk, including the invitation for Lukashenko to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
The parliament also acknowledged Belarusians fighting alongside Ukraine, including members of the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment on the frontlines. Lawmakers said their participation highlights how Ukraine’s and Belarus’s fates are closely linked.
The inter-factional parliamentary group “For Democratic Belarus!” urged breaking diplomatic ties with Lukashenko, formally recognizing Belarus as occupied, transferring the Belarusian embassy in Kyiv to democratic representatives, and stepping up international sanctions on the regime.