February 7, 2021
Every day but especially today, “The Day of Solidarity with Belarus,” the United States stands with the Belarusian people in their yearning for democracy, liberty, and justice. Fundamental freedoms inherently belong to the people of all nations and are long overdue in independent, sovereign Belarus.
In December, the United States Congress passed and the President signed the “Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020.” The Belarus Democracy Act states America’s position plainly: the United States stands with the Belarusian people, demands that human rights be respected, and will hold accountable those who violate the rights of the Belarusian people. The United States will work together with European partners to support those who aspire to a sovereign, democratic Belarus where the rule of law governs.
As Belarusian Nobel Laureate Svyatlana Alexievich once said, “Freedom is not an instantaneous holiday, as we once dreamed. It is a road. A long road.” Even if that road is long and winding, the United States walks in solidarity alongside the people of Belarus.
