By Sasha Kinskey, The Chicago Times
September 30, 2022
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties Friday to annex areas of occupied Ukraine.
At a treaty-signing ceremony, Putin demanded Ukraine officials come to the table to end the seven months of fighting and warned that Russia would never give up the annexed regions of Ukraine even if it meant nuclear retaliation.
The Russian absorption of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions comes three days after Kremlin backed referendums in which the local population voted to join the Russian Federation. Western powers allege the referendums were fixed. Putin demanded Ukrainian authorities will respect the results of the Kremlin backed election.
In response, Ukrainian officials waved off Putin’s remarks and retorted that the fate of Ukraine will be decided on the battlefield.
“We continue to work and liberate Ukrainian territories. And we don’t pay attention to those whose time to take pills has come. The army is working, Ukraine is united. Only moving forward.” Andrii Yermak, spokesman for the Ukrainian president.
Putin has warned Ukraine and NATO that attacks on annexed regions would be considered an attack on sovereign Russian soil and would use all means available in retaliation.
The Chicago Times 