Lukashenko expressed satisfaction that nearly half a million Ukrainians had arrived in Belarus due to the war

Belarus’s self-proclaimed president, Alexander Lukashenko, stated that nearly 500,000 Ukrainian citizens have arrived in the country since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to him, the Belarusian authorities are providing Ukrainians with housing, employment, medical care, and educational opportunities.

However, the number of Ukrainians cited by Lukashenko has not been confirmed by independent sources.

“Since the start of hostilities, nearly half a million Ukrainian citizens have arrived in the country. We welcome them. Thank God, there has not been a single complaint or incident of them behaving badly here,” Lukashenko said.

According to him, Ukrainians who fled because of the war were prepared to live under any conditions, and Belarus provided them with housing on an equal footing with its own citizens. In particular, Lukashenko stated, they were settled in rural areas where there is a need for labor.

He also stated that Ukrainian children have access to kindergartens and education, while adults have access to employment and medical services.

Lukashenko called on European Union countries not to treat migrants “like animals” and to “follow the example of Belarusian policy” regarding displaced persons.

He made these remarks during the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security.

Lukashenko stated that the war in Ukraine could end in the coming months.

Lukashenko stated when Belarus might enter the war against Ukraine.

Lukashenko will send negligent rural workers to perform military-educational labor.