MINSK, April 20. /TASS/. Belarus and Russia can together stand firm against any stratagem by modern-day Nazis or other destructive forces to drag them into a World War III scenario through the conflict in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told a visiting Russian governor on Thursday.

"We can see that Nazi, fascist and other destructive forces are making attempts to rewrite history, negate our joint contribution to the Great Victory and justify their criminal actions, both of that period and today," Lukashenko told St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov, who is visiting Minsk. "They are trying to drag us into a third world war through the conflict in Ukraine. But I’m convinced [of one thing]: They failed to destroy our nations then, nor will they succeed in doing so now," the Belarusian leader insisted.

Lukashenko said he knew of no other places in history "that have suffered as much from war as Leningrad (the former name of St. Petersburg - TASS) and Belarus."

Belarus and Russia have much to do to fortify their fraternal union, which he said was a stronghold of freedom and truth both in the Commonwealth of Independent States and beyond.