MINSK, April 28. /TASS/. The conflict in Ukraine is serving to revitalize the most dangerous scenarios involving a direct clash between nuclear powers, which could bring about devastating consequences, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said on Friday.

"It [the Ukraine conflict] has triggered a transformation of the system of international relations and the security architecture that came into being after World War II. It is reviving the most dangerous scenarios involving a clash between nuclear powers, which would be fraught with potentially devastating consequences," Khrenin said at a meeting in New Delhi of the defense ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.

According to the Belarusian defense chief, the conflict in Ukraine marks the hot phase of a global civilizational confrontation between the West and the East, which was ultimately caused by Washington’s desire to preserve its waning global dominance. "Competition is underway for the right to determine the basic principles of the world order. Rising tensions between major powers are reducing the role of supranational institutions and agencies, and gradually eroding the current system of international law. High-level diplomatic and discussion clubs are losing their role as platforms for negotiations, and are being replaced by new forms of cooperation between countries based on common interests and the willingness to promote them through joint efforts," Khrenin stated.

"The lack of agreement between the leading global powers, which hold diametrically opposing views on the world order, only serves to heighten the role of military force as a tool for implementing the national interests of various countries. Meanwhile, the threshold for decision-making on the use of military force is sinking increasingly lower," the Belarusian defense minister concluded.