Lukashenko rants about McDonald's leaving Belarus, 'Who wants to eat it?'

PRESIDENT Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday (November 18) that he "thanked God" that U.S. fast food giant McDonald's was leaving the Belarusian market.

Lukashenko urged local producers to take the place of the U.S. restaurants and bring in local staff and domestic products.

"We should be able to do everything that McDonald's was doing, if anybody needs it, and even better," the Belarusian leader said, quipping: "Can't they cut a bun in half and cram a piece of meat in between?"

McDonald's restaurants in Belarus are set to be rebranded under a deal made public on Friday (November 11), five months after the U.S. fast food chain left neighbouring Russia after it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.

Under the deal, the 25 McDonald's restaurants in Belarus, all of which are operated by a local licensee, will be rebranded as Vkusno & tochka, which translates as "Tasty and that's it."

McDonald's sold its Russian restaurants in May to a local operator there, which later rebranded to "Vkusno & tochka," making a decision to sever ties with Russia over its actions in Ukraine.