On the fifth anniversary of the disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election, opposition leader Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya reaffirmed the enduring possibility of democracy in Belarus and called on the United States and Europe to intensify their support for the Belarusian people. The 2020 election saw hundreds of thousands protest against alleged vote falsification by President Alexander Lukashenko, leading to a harsh crackdown and ongoing repression, including transnational dimensions as noted by Anaïs Marin. Despite being in exile, the Belarusian opposition has established a unified and credible alternative to Lukashenko's dictatorship. Tsihanouskaya emphasized that Belarus is integral to Europe's freedom and warned that continued Lukashenko rule would deepen Minsk's alignment with Moscow, potentially turning Belarus into a Russian military outpost. She urged the appointment of a U.S. special envoy for Belarus to coordinate with European partners and support reforms. Tsihanouskaya also highlighted that a free Belarus would reduce Russian military pressure on NATO's eastern flank and lower defense costs for the alliance. The broader context includes concerns about democratic backsliding globally, with calls to restore faith in democratic governance and reverse authoritarian trends.