Belarus leader says tension between great powers at Cold War level

MINSK, April 29. /TASS/. Tension between world powers has reached the level of Cold War, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Wednesday.

"Who would have thought that today bombs will drop and shells will explode in neighboring Ukraine, that the smell of big war will linger in Europe again, that tension between great powers will reach the level of Cold War," Lukashenko said.

The president noted that Belarus remains "a place of peace, calm and order." "Unfortunately, some people forgot the lessons of the Great Patriotic War, the 70th anniversary of which we will celebrate in a few days," Lukashenko said.

The main task now is to maintain peace, order and independence, the Belarusian president said. "The fate of Belarus is determined not at the front or in squares, but in the economy. Economy is the guarantor of our independence," Lukashenko said.