Attempts at destabilization made with help of fifth column, Lukashenka says

Attempts are being made to destabilize the situation in Belarus with the help of the fifth column, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said Tuesday, speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony held in Minsk on the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.

“Humanity has found itself on the dangerous brink of a new big war,” the Belarusian leader said after laying a wreath at the 40-meter-high Victory Obelisk in Victory Square. “Our Belarus is also being subjected to threats.”

“Military arsenals are being built up near our borders,” the Belarusian leader said. “Military bases are being deployed in neighboring countries, former Soviet republics. Military exercises and maneuvers are held.”

That is why it is increasingly important to be vigilant and ensure the security of the state, Mr. Lukashenka noted. “It is necessary to cherish peace and harmony in our home country,” he said.

“We must be as united and resolute as our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers were while experiencing severe ordeals. Then nobody will dare to test our endurance. We must preserve peace in our country for the sake of the memory of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who were killed on the frontline, the memory of the one-third of the population that we lost. It will be the greatest gift not only for the living veterans but also, most importantly, for those who gave their lives for everything that we have today.”

“Our land has never been the origin of aggression,” Mr. Lukashenka said. “We have proved to everyone that Belarus is a peaceful and friendly nation, but this does not mean that it is not able to defend itself. We do not need others’ land, but we will not give up our land. This is what we were taught by our heroic ancestors.”

“The crimes of the Nazi German invaders cannot be erased from the memory of people,” Mr. Lukashenka said. “This must be known by, among others, those who make attempts to revise history and take the great victory away from our people. We should no allow this to happen.”