Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared four Ukrainian provinces to be part of the Russian Federation as he signed a document to formally annex the regions occupied by Moscow’s troops.
The Russian president urged Kiev to recognize the annexation of the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson, conducted after referendums a week ago that Moscow said showed an overwhelming majority in favour of leaving Ukraine and joining Russia.
Kiev and Western powers denounced the five-day vote, which ended on Tuesday, saying the results were a foregone conclusion that would never be recognised internationally. There were reports of residents being coerced into voting, sometimes at gunpoint.
As expected, Russia vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council condemning the Russian annexation as a violation of international law.
Ten countries voted in favour of the US-Albania-sponsored document in New York on Friday which also called on Russia to…
Source: Thisday Newspaper
