Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed the accord to annex four territories in Ukraine: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Lugansk, controlled by his army at a grand ceremony in the Kremlin and urged Kyiv to return to the negotiating table and put an end to the seven months of fighting.
The four regions’ Kremlin-backed leaders had formally requested annexation after claiming residents backed the move in referendums that were dismissed by Kyiv and the West as fraudulent.
In his televised address, Putin said, the people from the four regions are becoming “our citizens forever.” “I want to say this to the Kyiv regime and its masters in the West: People living in Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are becoming our citizens forever,” Putin said. “We call on the Kyiv regime to immediately stop fighting and stop all hostilities… and return to the negotiating table,” he urged.
The Russian president’s proclamation of Russian rule over 15 per cent of Ukraine – the biggest annexation in Europe since the Second World War, was denounced by Western countries. Together, all five regions including Crimea, make up around 20 percent of Ukraine, whose forces in recent weeks have been clawing back wins as Russia suffered one of the biggest setbacks of the war when Ukrainian forces started a counteroffensive in September.
Putin said, “We call on the Kyiv regime to immediately stop fighting and stop all hostilities… and return to the negotiating table.” In his televised speech, he said the West wants to make Russia a “colony,” “rob” it, and turn its people into a “crowd of voiceless slaves.” “They don’t need Russia, but we do,” he was quoted as saying. “Russia will always be Russia. We will always defend ourselves and our motherland,” he added.
Putin also said Moscow would triumph in its “special military operation” against Kyiv. “Truth is on our side. Russia is with us!” Putin told his country’s political elite.
He slammed the “rules-based order” in the West and said, “Has anyone seen these rules? Who agreed to them?”. He further accused the Western elite of being “colonial” and “racist” for “spreading Russophobia all over the world.”
The Russian president also accused the West of organising blasts that resulted in multiple gas leaks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia to Europe. “Sanctions are not enough for the West, they have switched to sabotage. Unbelievable, but it is a fact!” Putin said. “By organising explosions on the Nord Stream international gas pipelines that run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea they actually started destroying European energy infrastructure,” Putin said. “It is clear to everyone who benefits from this,” Putin added, without providing further details.
Shortly after the signing of the accord, Putin told thousands of Russians gathered on Red Square that “victory will be ours” “Russia not only opens the doors of her home to these people, she opens her heart. Welcome home!” he said in an address broadcast.” Putin also denied seeking to revive the Soviet Union and said that attacks against any part of the annexed territory would be considered aggression against Russia itself.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin is not yet planning a visit to the four Ukrainian regions he formally annexed. “Not yet, there is a lot of work to be done but over time it will certainly happen,” he said answering a question from reporters.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries condemned Russia’s proclaimed annexation as a “new low point” in the war and vowed to take further action against Moscow. “We will never recognise these purported annexations, nor the sham ‘referenda’ conducted at gunpoint,” said a statement from the top diplomats of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the US and the European Union.
“We will impose further economic costs on Russia, and on individuals and entities – inside and outside of Russia – that provide political or economic support to these violations of international law,” it added.
Germany’s embassies in countries neighbouring Russia have seen a surge in visa enquiries from Russian citizens since partial mobilisation for the war in Ukraine began.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv is requesting fast-track NATO membership after Russia formally annexed four Moscow-held regions of Ukraine. “We have already proven our compatibility with alliance standards… We are taking a decisive step by signing Ukraine’s application for accelerated accession to NATO,” Zelensky said in a video posted by the Ukrainian presidency on social media.
Zelensky also said that he would not negotiate with Russia as long as President Vladimir Putin is in power. “Ukraine will not hold any negotiations with Russia as long as Putin is the president of the Russian Federation. We will negotiate with the new president,” he said.
(with AFP and Reuters inputs)
Read the Latest News and Breaking News here
Comments
0 comment