Tajikistan Urges ‘Security Belt’ Around Afghanistan to Combat Drug Smuggling
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has marked the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe by submitting a bill to parliament officially marking May 9 as Europe Day in Ukraine, while Victory Day, May 8, would be celebrated as a “day of remembrance and victory over Nazism.” The move is a snub to Russia, which invaded Ukraine to prevent it from integrating with Europe. Zelenskiy also said that with the help of Western allies, Ukraine will be victorious over Russia’s forces invading the country, just as Nazi Germany was defeated in World War II. The Ukrainian president added that “Ukraine has always been, is, and will be a part of this Europe.” Meanwhile, the Russian paramilitary group has claimed its forces are inching forward in the fiercely contested town of Bakhmut, but Ukrainian intelligence has warned of Russian provocations on the occasion of May 9, and Kyiv’s military command said it shot down 35 suicide drones and 16 missiles used to attack Ukrainian territory ahead of the events.
