In the center of Moscow, on Red Square, preparations for the annexation are well under way. Tribune, stage and colorful banners and a large array of police and soldiers are in place. It has been announced that President Vladimir Putin will give an important speech on Friday, and concerts are planned. Reuters cites a presidential decision signed by Putin on Thursday evening, in which the country recognizes two areas in the south of Ukraine as “independent” following the unfree “referendums” last week. In the decree, Putin declares that Kherson and Zaporizhzhya are “independent territories”. The decree was published by the Russian website Meduza on Friday. The scene and the banners left no doubt about what will happen on Friday in Moscow. The arena for the proclamation was set up on Thursday in front of the Kremlin. Photo: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA / Reuters Forced incorporation of 4 regions This opens the way for the regions to be formally forcibly incorporated into Russia, in violation of international law. Russia announced earlier this week that a total of four Ukrainian territories will be incorporated into Russia. This also applies to the Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, which lie in eastern Ukraine. They were declared independent even before Russian soldiers invaded Ukraine in February. The formal declaration of annexation is expected to come on Friday, when Putin takes the podium during a ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday Norwegian time. President Vladimir Putin held a video conference in the Russian Security Council on Thursday. Photo: SPUTNIK / Reuters Emergency meeting of the UN Security Council The UN Security Council has been called to an emergency meeting on Friday where the members will vote on a resolution dealing with the referendums that Russia has held in occupied parts of Ukraine. Putin uses the results of the unfree referendums, which he says showed a large majority among the citizens to become part of the Russian Empire, as a basis for the announced annexation. This is rejected by western countries who say the referendums were not free, that the regions belong to Ukraine and that it is against international law and the UN Charter to hold such elections in occupied territory. No control Russia does not have full military control over any of the four regions. Parts of Luhansk and Donetsk have been led by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. Russia has since recognized these as independent people’s republics. Large parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya have been under Russian control since the start of the war. And on Thursday came the formal declaration that Russia considers them to be independent, based on the unfree “referendums” last week. The Red Square in Moscow was blocked off on Thursday before Friday’s big event. Photo: ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP The election is not considered free or fair by international observers. They are considered to have violated international law. Norway and a large number of western countries have condemned the referendum, which according to Russian authorities showed a large majority to be incorporated into the Russian Empire. Recapture of Crimea It is not the first time that Russia has annexed regions in Ukraine. In 2014, Russia occupied the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in the Black Sea in a lightning strike. After this, a “referendum” was also organized, which again with a large majority voted to incorporate the peninsula into Russia. Large parts of the world still consider Crimea to be part of Ukraine.
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Putin declares two Ukrainian territories as “independent” – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
