Russia will formally annex four regions of Ukraine partially controlled by its military, the Kremlin announced Thursday, in a major political escalation of the war against its neighbor.
It comes after Moscow-backed authorities staged votes in the occupied regions of Ukraine’s east and south that were widely denounced as a sham to justify a land grab following Russia’s recent military setbacks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend a ceremony on the accession of the four regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia — at the Kremlin’s St. George’s Hall on Friday.
“There will be a big speech by Putin there too,” Peskov said.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has decried the ballots as an illegal “propaganda show.” They saw armed troops accompany election officials going door-to-door asking people to vote.
The United States and its Western allies have vowed not to recognize Russia’s claim over the areas.
There is also international concern about how Moscow might seek to defend its new claimed territory if and when Kyiv tries to take it back. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested it could be prepared to use nuclear weapons — a threat Putin has repeatedly made.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
