Russia may formally annex occupied territories on September 30

President Vladimir Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly may take place on September 30, report RIA Novosti and Verstka, according to a source in parliament.

An RIA Novosti source said that a “protocol event” would take place that day, which indicates that the president will be on the premises.

A source in the Federation Council told RIA Novosti that on September 29, the chamber might consider “a treaty and law on the entrance of new subjects into the Russian Federation.”

According to Verstka sources, Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly may be similar to events in 2014, when the president delivered a speech to State Duma deputies and senators and then signed a treaty on the annexation of Crimea.

From Verstka’s reports, it is expected that Putin’s address will be devoted to “the referendums on joining Russia” in occupied Ukrainian territories and may also culminate in the signing of a “treaty.”

• Russia plans to annex occupied Ukrainian territories following the “referendums on joining Russia” held there at the end of September, despite that fact that, when he announced the “special operation,” Putin spoke about an absence of plans to occupy Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian authorities say this will not influence their intentions to liberate their territory.
• The President of Russia addresses the Federal Assembly every year regarding the state of affairs in the country. In past years the address has occurred early in the year. In February, a week before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin announced work on the address, but the event was never scheduled.