Russian President Vladimir Putin signed documents on the “annexation” of the so-called “DPR” and “LPR” and of the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts at a ceremony in the Kremlin on September 30, 2022, Ukrinform reported.
Kremlin ceremony
Before signing the so-called treaties on “admission” to Russia, Putin gave a 37-minute speech in the Kremlin’s St. George Hall to State Duma deputies, senators, ministers and regional leaders. Overnight, he had signed decrees recognising the “independence” of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Sham referendums
The move followed so-called referendums held in occupied areas from September 23 to 27, which Ukraine and Western governments condemned as illegal shams conducted at gunpoint. Russia does not fully control any of the four regions.
Kyiv’s response
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was applying for fast-track membership of NATO and said Kyiv would not negotiate with Russia while Putin remained president. Western leaders said they would never recognise the annexation and announced new sanctions.
Mobilisation
Putin recognised the “DPR” and “LPR” as independent on February 21, days before the full-scale invasion. On September 21, he announced a partial mobilisation, prompting hundreds of thousands of Russians to leave the country.
Sources
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