On Friday, the Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of four new partially occupied regions of Ukraine by signing a treaty in a ceremony in the St. George Hall of Kremlin.
This came after a Russian missile struck a car convoy full of Ukrainian civilians in a car market in the Southeastern city of Zaporizhia in Ukraine reportedly killing 25 civilians and wounding many.
In a declaration speech, he let the world know that Russia was about to annex the territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia. These regions where partially held by Moscow.
Earlier, these four regions were being prepared to hold referendums to join Russia which is said to be manipulated by pro-Moscow forces in these regions.
Following that, Kremlin-backed authorities were sent to these areas to go from door-to-door to collect ballots in votes dismissed by Kyiv and the West as a “sham” writes Times of India.
Read more at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/94567787.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
In his speech Putin was highly critical of the West and their political policies in the past. He condemned the West by addressing the colonialization that had taken place in India and Africa, the Slave Trade, Chinese warfare initiated by the European biggies.
“West plundered India, is ready to provoke color revolution in any country”: Putin
He also added that his “Geo-political opponents” can go to any extent to retain their power calling them “Satanic” for their values while praising the traditional Russian values. He said that the West taught inclusivity of genders other than “Men” and “Women” and offered “sex-changing operation” to them claiming this as a threat to the values formulated by his country and children.
It also accused the West of blowing the Nord steam international gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
Putin justified Kremlin’s decision by saying that the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk had been victim to terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime proclaiming all the residents from the four regions as citizens of Russia forever adding that it would defend the new territories with all its means.
How is the World responding to this?
The West has shown absolute disapproval and grave disappointment to Kremlin’s decision of annexation of Ukrainian regions calling it “illegal land-grab”.
The G7 countries which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States have condemned and criticized Russia for its move by stating its sham referendum as futile and persuaded on “gunpoint”.
The US has imposed sanctions on Russia targeting influential Russian authorities and big companies calling the annexation illegitimate and violating the international laws. It warned that any country that will support or back Russia in its purported annexation will face serious consequences.
President Joe Biden said that US will always honor Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.
Secretary General of NATO said that it respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity making it very clear that in no way is NATO going to stop helping Ukraine to regain its territory and independence.
The EU condemned Russia by putting strict limitations on visa approvals to Russian citizens only except on humanitarian grounds.
The EU leaders dismissed the referendums saying: “We firmly reject and unequivocally condemn the illegal annexation by Russia of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions,”
The protest against Putin’s attempt to alter international borders also included Poland, the Netherland, Finland and Sweden.
Several Geo-political analysts and experts across the globe are marking this as an initiation of another Cold War.
What is Prime Minister Zelenskyy’s strategy against Russia?
Ukraine submitted an ‘accelerated’ application to join NATO following Russia’s denouncement. Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is a ‘De-Facto’ member of NATO.
Zelenskyy accused Russia by calling it a “terrorist state” and a “bloodthirsty scum”. He also added that Ukraine and Russia will never reach a point of negotiation till Putin remains the President of Russia.
The World seems to be at a state of war. This includes big powers involving in serious rivalries. But at the end of the day, it is the civilians who loose their lives.
The biggest irony is that the ones who declare the war is never the ones who fight the war.
