Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in the first reaction to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that 4 regions of Ukraine will be annexed to Russia, on Friday, in the presence of parliamentarians and regional representatives, called for the acceleration of Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
In a video clip published on social networks, Zelensky said: “We are making a decisive decision by signing Ukraine’s candidacy with the aim of immediately joining NATO.”
The National Security Council of Ukraine called for the strengthening of the international coalition to support Ukraine against Russia’s annexation decisions.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties covering four Ukrainian regions occupied by Russian forces: Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, during a lavish ceremony in the Kremlin.
After that, he tied the hands of the heads of the regions under the control of the Russian forces appointed by Moscow on the podium in the presence of the elite figures of Russia and chanted “Russia! Russia!” he nodded
The Russian president noted that residents of the four regions chose to join Russia “with one vote” after a referendum organized by Moscow.
Putin said: I want to tell the Kyiv regime and its masters in the West: the residents of Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia will be our citizens forever.
In a letter published before the signing of the treaties, Putin asked the Ukrainian forces to stop all their military operations and added: We ask the Kyiv regime to immediately stop the war, stop all hostilities and return to the negotiating table.
Source: Lebanon Debate
