Belarusian President: the US wants war in Eastern Europe

Shafaq News/ The Belarusian President accused the United States of "flaming" an armed conflict using the ongoing migrant crisis.

"They are trying to take advantage of these poor refugees," Alexander Lukashenko said at the meeting of the Constitutional Commission and the working group that is writing the draft of Belarus's new main legal document. "They provoke us. This is not necessary for Europe; Europe does not want this, Europe does not want war. Who needs this war? The Americans."

Later, Lukashenko visited a makeshift migrant camp where he told migrants stranded at the border with Poland that his country would help them return home without using force.

"But we will not force you. This is your right." He said.

The European Union has accused Belarus of flying in thousands of people from the Middle East and pushing them to cross into the bloc in retaliation for EU sanctions imposed over Lukashenko's crushing of protests against his disputed re-election last year. Belarus denies this.

Belarus has begun to fly some migrants home but has said it is waiting for an answer from the EU on whether the bloc will accept 2,000 stranded at the border.