Vladimir Putin annexed the occupied territories of Ukraine

Vladimir Putin signed agreements under which Russia will annex the captured territories of Ukraine. The Russian Federation will include the self-proclaimed DPR, LPR, as well as parts of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. On the part of the annexed territories, the agreements were signed by Denis Pushilin, Leonid Pasechnik, Vladimir Saldo and Evgeniy Balitsky, respectively.

What Putin said

Before signing the agreements, Putin made an address in the St. George Hall of the Kremlin. He recalled that “referendums” were held in the occupied territories, in which residents made their choice. Addressing the Ukrainian authorities, Putin said that Russia is ready for peace talks, but will not discuss the choice of citizens of the four regions. “People living in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye become our citizens. Forever,” the president said .

Putin then accused the West of wanting to weaken and destroy Russia. He promised that Russia would defend its values ​​from the West: “The West doesn’t need Russia, but we need it.” Putin recalled to the West the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the bombing of Dresden and other German cities during World War II, as well as the wars that broke out in Korea and Vietnam.

The president also recalled the recent explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and blamed the “Anglo-Saxons” for this. Concluding the topic of the West, Putin said that Russia is now fighting a battle with him for its future: “Fate has called us to the battlefield for our people. For a great historical Russia."

Putin ended his speech with a quote from the philosopher Ivan Ilyin: “If I consider Russia my Motherland, this means that I love, contemplate and think in Russian, sing and say in Russian, that I believe in the spiritual powers of the Russian people, their spirit - mine, his destiny is my destiny, his suffering is my grief, his blossoming is my joy.”

“Referendums” and rallies

On September 17-23, “referendums” were held in the occupied territories , in which residents were asked whether they agreed with their regions becoming part of Russia. According to local Central Election Commissions, the overwhelming majority voted in favor.

By the time the treaties were signed, Russia recognized the independence of all four regions. In the case of the DPR and LPR, this happened on February 21, 2022. a decree recognizing the independence of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions Putin signed on the night of September 30.

Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov clarified that the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR will become part of Russia within the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in 2014. He promised to clarify information on the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions later. The Russian army does not completely control any of the four regions. In the Zaporozhye region, the regional center of Zaporozhye is under Ukrainian control.

A representative of the pro-Russian leadership of the Zaporozhye region, Vladimir Rogov , said that Melitopol will be the temporary capital of the region. “The key word is ‘temporary’, because the capital of the region after liberation will again be its regional center - Zaporozhye,” Rogov said.

Rallies dedicated to the signing of agreements are planned in Russian cities on September 30. appeared in the telegram channel “Team Navalny” A message that students and public sector employees, as well as paid extras, are being gathered for the rally-concert in Moscow.

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, even before the end of the “referendums,” called them fictitious and added that if Russia annexes Ukrainian territories, then he will not conduct any negotiations. Other world leaders also stated that they would not recognize the results of the "referendums".