Putin annexes 15% of Ukraine, Zelenskyy rushes for NATO membership
More than seven months after Russia declared war on its neighbour Ukraine, Kremlin started the process of absorbing parts of the war-torn nation. In a not-so-surprising move, President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed treaties annexing occupied Ukrainian regions.
With the latest move, Putin has proclaimed Russian rule over 15 per cent of Ukraine, a claim that has received outright rejection from Western countries. This is not the first time Russia has occupied and claimed territories that did not belong to it. Previously, in 2014, Crimea met the same fate.
Meanwhile, in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s bid to join the military alliance, Nato said the membership decision requires ‘consensus’ of allies. Zelenskyy, who has remained firm in his stance to stop Ukraine from falling into Russian hands, had submitted an “accelerated” application to join the Nato military alliance.
But Zelenskyy knocking on Nato’s door for help has become an old tune now, with Russia hardly deterred by these moves.
Here are the top developments in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war:
PUTIN SIGNS TREATIES TO ANNEX PARTS OF UKRAINE
On Friday, Vladimir Putin signed “accession treaties”, formalising the takeover of four regions in war-torn Ukraine- Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk. At the ceremony held in Moscow, Putin loudly proclaimed that they will “defend their land”.
Vladimir Putin (center) after announcing annexation of 4 Ukrainian territories. (AFP photos)
“We will defend our land by all means. This is the liberation mission of the Russian people,” Vladimir Putin said in what appears to be the latest thinly veiled reference to nuclear weapons.
Notably, when Kyiv had declared war on Moscow, Vladimir Putin said the military action announced by him will “demilitarize” Ukraine and was in response to threats from Ukraine.
