US Politics | Putin vows to use ‘any means’ to defend annexed Ukraine regions in new nuke threat after biggest land grab since WW2
VLADIMIR Putin has vowed to use ...any means... to defend the four Ukrainian regions annexed to Russia after the biggest land grab since World War Two. The tyrant hosted a grand signing ceremony at the Kremlin today to welcome the stolen regions of Ukraine to Russia as his seven-month war enters a terrifying new phase. 
APVladimir Putin has declared four Ukrainian regions are Russian '/ ' 
APPutin formally inked decrees in a signing ceremony at the Great Kremlin Palace '/ ' 
GettyPutin cheers with his puppet leaders in charge of the four stolen Ukraine regions '/ ' Putin formally inked decrees declaring Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to be Russian territory following a series of sham referendums. The ruthless land grab was made official at the Georgievsky Hall of the Great Kremlin Palace in a signing ceremony. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the move ...represents the most serious escalation since the start of the war... while the US said it provide Ukraine with more equipment. Meanwhile, the US called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting where it's expected they'll announce a fresh wave of sanctions on Russia. Read more on the Ukraine war 
DARK DAY Putin tells annexed Ukrainians they're 'Russian citizens forever' in formal speech 
SICK STRIKE 23 dead in Russian strike on convoy rescuing families hours before Putin speech Putin was late showing up to the huge gathering of his cronies and then issued a long, rambling, nonsensical diatribe. In his speech, he said: ...People have made their choice \- and that choice is beyond any doubt... this is the will of millions of people.... The Russian leader vowed to ...defend our land with all means... \- and said the people living in the stolen Ukrainian regions are ...our citizens forever.... ...People living in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia region are becoming our citizens forever,... he said. Most read in US News SICK CLAIMS Dad 'forced son to sleep on pads & dig through trash before boy froze to death' I KILLED THREE Elon Musk's dad reveals how he shot dead intruders as daughter clung to him PIECE OF CAKE Walmart's self-checkout caught me stealing on camera - my warning to shoppers DARK TOURISM Fears 'acolytes' will swarm Jeffrey Dahmer town if victim memorial is erected GUN MASSACRE Five people including mom & two kids found shot dead as suspect arrested TIME FOR ANSWERS Serena Williams' stepmom to be grilled by lawyers as she loses star's home ...We will defend our land with all our strength and all our means.... The crowds looked glum and appeared to clap on cue as the tyrant droned on for nearly an hour before the separatist leaders signed the decrees, joined hands and chanted ...Russia!... In one bizarre remark during his speech, Putin claimed the ...collective West is afraid of our philosophy and that's why they try to assassinate our philosophers.... He also held a minute silence for the ...heroes of Russia... who have died in his disastrous invasion and stood up against what he called a ...Neo-Nazi coup... in Ukraine in 2014. In his delusional rant, Putin lashed out at the ...satanic... and ...racist... West and accused the US and its allies of waging a ...hybrid war... against Russia. He said the West had broken its promises to his country and had ...no moral right... to talk about democracy. At one point in the speech, he asked the assembled crowds if they wanted ...children to be offered sex-change operations... \- a practice he implied was widespread in the West. And he even accused the West of sabotaging the Russia-built Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany after it was torn open by a series of explosions this week. Ukraine and Poland have pointed the finger back at Moscow \- while other European nations have stopped short of attributing blame. We will defend our land with all our strength and all our means Vladimir Putin ...Sanctions were not enough for the Anglo-Saxons: they moved on to sabotage,... Putin fumed. ...It is hard to believe, but it is a fact that they organised the blasts on the Nord Stream international gas pipelines... it is clear to everyone who benefits from this.... Putin urged Kyiv to sit down for talks as the war rages on \- but he warned he would not give up the four annexed Ukraine regions. At the end of his speech, he carried out the signing ceremony with the separatist leaders of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. A stage with giant video screens has been put up on Moscow's Red Square for a rally following his speech, with a pop concert set to take place. Russians were seen waving flags as they gathered for the rally in the capital, while billboards across Moscow declared: ...Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson \- Russia!... UKRAINE'S BID TO JOIN NATO Just moments after Putin's deranged speech, Ukraine officially applied to become part of NATO. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed off the paperwork for fast-track membership to the alliance to ...protect our entire community.... He also said Ukraine would continue with its blitzkrieg counter-offensive against Russia in the east. ...By attempting to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Putin tries to grab territories he doesn't even physically control on the ground,... Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. ...Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue liberating our land and our people, restoring our territorial integrity.... Russia has long feared Ukraine joining the alliance since it become closer with the West and Putin repeatedly issued threats to scare the nation into staying out of it. If Ukraine's application is successful, member states would be obligated to defend it against Russia \- meaning the UK and US would be compelled to send in troops. Britain and America immediately responded to Putin's move to annex the Ukraine regions with a wave of fresh sanctions. Meanwhile, the head of NATO said the organisation would continue giving ...unwavering support... to Ukraine. ...Putin has mobilised hundreds of thousands of more troops, engaged in irresponsible nuclear sabre rattling and now illegally annexed more Ukrainian territory. Together, this represents the most serious escalation since the start of the war,... Stoltenberg said in a press conference. ...NATO reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. ...We remain resolute in providing support to Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia's aggression, for as long as it takes.... Joe Biden issued Putin with a stark warning. ...Mr Putin, don't misunderstand what I am saying,... President Biden said as he reaffirmed the US' commitment to provide Ukraine with military aid. ...The United States is prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory.... He added: ...We will continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment it needs to defend itself, undeterred by Russia's brazen effort to redraw the borders of its neighbour,... the President said in a statement. ...We will rally the international community to both denounce these moves and to hold Russia accountable.... The US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on hundreds of Russian lawmakers and leaders of the country's financial and military infrastructure. And the Commerce Department added 57 companies to its list of export control violators, while the State Department added more than 900 people to its visa restriction list. The UK also ramped up sanctions, with sweeping new measures targeting vulnerable sectors of the economy. Britain is banning the export of nearly 700 goods crucial to Russia's industrial and technological sectors. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: ...The Russian regime must be held to account for this abhorrent violation of international law.... The four regions annexed by Russia cover some 90,000sq km, or about 15 per cent of Ukraine \- roughly the size of Hungary or Portugal. The outrageous move from Putin has ramped up fears he could launch a nuclear strike to protect his so-called Russian territory. 
People wave Russian flags during a rally in Moscow's Red SquareGetty 
ReutersPeople attend a concert in Red Square to celebrate the annexation of four regions '/ ' 
ReutersPutin lines up with the leaders in charge of the four regions after the signing '/ ' 
Universal News & SportPutin joined hands with the separatist leaders in a bizarre move after the signing '/ ' 
EPAPutin (centre) with Donetsk leader Denis Pushilin (second right), head of Luhansk Leonid Pasechnik (right), Zaporizhzhia leader Yevhen Balitsky (second left) and head of Kherson Vladimir Saldo (left) '/ ' 
ReutersRussians carrying flags approach Moscow's Red Square to celebrate the land grab '/ ' 
EPAPeople gather in central Moscow ahead of a rally and a concert in Red Square '/ ' 
ReutersRussians walk towards Red Square for the rally after the annexation of the four Ukraine regions '/ ' 
ReutersRussia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and other participants at the ceremony '/ ' As fierce Ukrainian forces push his troops back in the northeast of the country, there are concerns the tyrant will now try to reframe the lightning counteroffensive as an attack on Russia sovereignty. The Kremlin said any attack on newly annexed parts of Ukraine will be considered an attack on Russia itself \- adding his troops would fight to take the whole of the eastern Donbas region. And there are mounting concerns that Ukrainians living in Russian-controlled areas will be conscripted to fight in Putin's war. On Wednesday, pro-Kremlin officials said all four regions had voted to join Russia. Footage emerged of voters being led to the ballot boxes at gunpoint by pro-Russian paramilitary groups, while election officials were seen appearing to count stacks of unmarked ballot papers as ...Yes' votes. Putin's cronies claimed 99 per cent of ballots cast in Donetsk were in favour of joining Russia, 98 per cent in Luhansk, 93 per cent in Zaporizhzhia and 87 per cent in Kherson. But the farcical referendums have been declared illegal by the majority of the international community. The US and the EU are set to impose more sanctions on Russia over the annexation, and even some of Russia's allies, such as Serbia and Kazakhstan, have said they will not recognise the take over. Earlier, Biden said: ...The United States condemns Russia's fraudulent attempt today to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory. ...Russia is violating international law, trampling on the United Nations Charter, and showing its contempt for peaceful nations everywhere. ...NO LEGITIMACY' ...Make no mistake: these actions have no legitimacy. ...The United States will always honour Ukraine's internationally recognised borders.... UN chief Antonio Guterres said it was a ...dangerous escalation... that would damage future prospects for peace. PM Liz Truss said the UK will never accept the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as part of Russia. She said: "Vladimir Putin has, once again, acted in violation of international law with clear disregard for the lives of the Ukrainian people he claims to represent. "The UK will never ignore the sovereign will of those people and we will never accept the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as anything other than Ukrainian territory. "Putin cannot be allowed to alter international borders using brute force. We will ensure he loses this illegal war." And Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson described the annexation as ...nothing but a complete farce.... ...We condemn the illegal annexation in the strongest terms,... she said. Dutch PM Mark Rutte added: ...The Netherlands will never recognise this annexation, just as we don't recognise the annexation of Crimea.... The Greek foreign ministry said the decision was ...illegal... and ...violates blatantly international law.... Read More on The Sun 
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SPELLBOUND Where Hocus Pocus cast are now - shock firing to cannabis farmer and toxic feud Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leden defiantly said the ...illegal annexation proclaimed by Putin won't change anything.... ...All territories illegally occupied by Russian invaders are Ukrainian land and will always be part of this sovereign nation,... she said. 
EPARussians gather for celebration after a ceremony to sign treaties on the new territories '/ ' 
ReutersPutin was late showing up to the huge gathering in the Georgievsky Hall of the Great Kremlin Palace '/ '
APVladimir Putin has declared four Ukrainian regions are Russian '/ ' APPutin formally inked decrees in a signing ceremony at the Great Kremlin Palace '/ ' GettyPutin cheers with his puppet leaders in charge of the four stolen Ukraine regions '/ ' Putin formally inked decrees declaring Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to be Russian territory following a series of sham referendums. The ruthless land grab was made official at the Georgievsky Hall of the Great Kremlin Palace in a signing ceremony. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the move ...represents the most serious escalation since the start of the war... while the US said it provide Ukraine with more equipment. Meanwhile, the US called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting where it's expected they'll announce a fresh wave of sanctions on Russia. Read more on the Ukraine war DARK DAY Putin tells annexed Ukrainians they're 'Russian citizens forever' in formal speech SICK STRIKE 23 dead in Russian strike on convoy rescuing families hours before Putin speech Putin was late showing up to the huge gathering of his cronies and then issued a long, rambling, nonsensical diatribe. In his speech, he said: ...People have made their choice \- and that choice is beyond any doubt... this is the will of millions of people.... The Russian leader vowed to ...defend our land with all means... \- and said the people living in the stolen Ukrainian regions are ...our citizens forever.... ...People living in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia region are becoming our citizens forever,... he said. Most read in US News SICK CLAIMS Dad 'forced son to sleep on pads & dig through trash before boy froze to death' I KILLED THREE Elon Musk's dad reveals how he shot dead intruders as daughter clung to him PIECE OF CAKE Walmart's self-checkout caught me stealing on camera - my warning to shoppers DARK TOURISM Fears 'acolytes' will swarm Jeffrey Dahmer town if victim memorial is erected GUN MASSACRE Five people including mom & two kids found shot dead as suspect arrested TIME FOR ANSWERS Serena Williams' stepmom to be grilled by lawyers as she loses star's home ...We will defend our land with all our strength and all our means.... The crowds looked glum and appeared to clap on cue as the tyrant droned on for nearly an hour before the separatist leaders signed the decrees, joined hands and chanted ...Russia!... In one bizarre remark during his speech, Putin claimed the ...collective West is afraid of our philosophy and that's why they try to assassinate our philosophers.... He also held a minute silence for the ...heroes of Russia... who have died in his disastrous invasion and stood up against what he called a ...Neo-Nazi coup... in Ukraine in 2014. In his delusional rant, Putin lashed out at the ...satanic... and ...racist... West and accused the US and its allies of waging a ...hybrid war... against Russia. He said the West had broken its promises to his country and had ...no moral right... to talk about democracy. At one point in the speech, he asked the assembled crowds if they wanted ...children to be offered sex-change operations... \- a practice he implied was widespread in the West. And he even accused the West of sabotaging the Russia-built Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany after it was torn open by a series of explosions this week. Ukraine and Poland have pointed the finger back at Moscow \- while other European nations have stopped short of attributing blame. We will defend our land with all our strength and all our means Vladimir Putin ...Sanctions were not enough for the Anglo-Saxons: they moved on to sabotage,... Putin fumed. ...It is hard to believe, but it is a fact that they organised the blasts on the Nord Stream international gas pipelines... it is clear to everyone who benefits from this.... Putin urged Kyiv to sit down for talks as the war rages on \- but he warned he would not give up the four annexed Ukraine regions. At the end of his speech, he carried out the signing ceremony with the separatist leaders of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. A stage with giant video screens has been put up on Moscow's Red Square for a rally following his speech, with a pop concert set to take place. Russians were seen waving flags as they gathered for the rally in the capital, while billboards across Moscow declared: ...Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson \- Russia!... UKRAINE'S BID TO JOIN NATO Just moments after Putin's deranged speech, Ukraine officially applied to become part of NATO. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed off the paperwork for fast-track membership to the alliance to ...protect our entire community.... He also said Ukraine would continue with its blitzkrieg counter-offensive against Russia in the east. ...By attempting to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Putin tries to grab territories he doesn't even physically control on the ground,... Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. ...Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue liberating our land and our people, restoring our territorial integrity.... Russia has long feared Ukraine joining the alliance since it become closer with the West and Putin repeatedly issued threats to scare the nation into staying out of it. If Ukraine's application is successful, member states would be obligated to defend it against Russia \- meaning the UK and US would be compelled to send in troops. Britain and America immediately responded to Putin's move to annex the Ukraine regions with a wave of fresh sanctions. Meanwhile, the head of NATO said the organisation would continue giving ...unwavering support... to Ukraine. ...Putin has mobilised hundreds of thousands of more troops, engaged in irresponsible nuclear sabre rattling and now illegally annexed more Ukrainian territory. Together, this represents the most serious escalation since the start of the war,... Stoltenberg said in a press conference. ...NATO reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. ...We remain resolute in providing support to Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia's aggression, for as long as it takes.... Joe Biden issued Putin with a stark warning. ...Mr Putin, don't misunderstand what I am saying,... President Biden said as he reaffirmed the US' commitment to provide Ukraine with military aid. ...The United States is prepared to defend every inch of NATO territory.... He added: ...We will continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment it needs to defend itself, undeterred by Russia's brazen effort to redraw the borders of its neighbour,... the President said in a statement. ...We will rally the international community to both denounce these moves and to hold Russia accountable.... The US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on hundreds of Russian lawmakers and leaders of the country's financial and military infrastructure. And the Commerce Department added 57 companies to its list of export control violators, while the State Department added more than 900 people to its visa restriction list. The UK also ramped up sanctions, with sweeping new measures targeting vulnerable sectors of the economy. Britain is banning the export of nearly 700 goods crucial to Russia's industrial and technological sectors. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: ...The Russian regime must be held to account for this abhorrent violation of international law.... The four regions annexed by Russia cover some 90,000sq km, or about 15 per cent of Ukraine \- roughly the size of Hungary or Portugal. The outrageous move from Putin has ramped up fears he could launch a nuclear strike to protect his so-called Russian territory. People wave Russian flags during a rally in Moscow's Red SquareGetty ReutersPeople attend a concert in Red Square to celebrate the annexation of four regions '/ ' ReutersPutin lines up with the leaders in charge of the four regions after the signing '/ ' Universal News & SportPutin joined hands with the separatist leaders in a bizarre move after the signing '/ ' EPAPutin (centre) with Donetsk leader Denis Pushilin (second right), head of Luhansk Leonid Pasechnik (right), Zaporizhzhia leader Yevhen Balitsky (second left) and head of Kherson Vladimir Saldo (left) '/ ' ReutersRussians carrying flags approach Moscow's Red Square to celebrate the land grab '/ ' EPAPeople gather in central Moscow ahead of a rally and a concert in Red Square '/ ' ReutersRussians walk towards Red Square for the rally after the annexation of the four Ukraine regions '/ ' ReutersRussia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and other participants at the ceremony '/ ' As fierce Ukrainian forces push his troops back in the northeast of the country, there are concerns the tyrant will now try to reframe the lightning counteroffensive as an attack on Russia sovereignty. The Kremlin said any attack on newly annexed parts of Ukraine will be considered an attack on Russia itself \- adding his troops would fight to take the whole of the eastern Donbas region. And there are mounting concerns that Ukrainians living in Russian-controlled areas will be conscripted to fight in Putin's war. On Wednesday, pro-Kremlin officials said all four regions had voted to join Russia. Footage emerged of voters being led to the ballot boxes at gunpoint by pro-Russian paramilitary groups, while election officials were seen appearing to count stacks of unmarked ballot papers as ...Yes' votes. Putin's cronies claimed 99 per cent of ballots cast in Donetsk were in favour of joining Russia, 98 per cent in Luhansk, 93 per cent in Zaporizhzhia and 87 per cent in Kherson. But the farcical referendums have been declared illegal by the majority of the international community. The US and the EU are set to impose more sanctions on Russia over the annexation, and even some of Russia's allies, such as Serbia and Kazakhstan, have said they will not recognise the take over. Earlier, Biden said: ...The United States condemns Russia's fraudulent attempt today to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory. ...Russia is violating international law, trampling on the United Nations Charter, and showing its contempt for peaceful nations everywhere. ...NO LEGITIMACY' ...Make no mistake: these actions have no legitimacy. ...The United States will always honour Ukraine's internationally recognised borders.... UN chief Antonio Guterres said it was a ...dangerous escalation... that would damage future prospects for peace. PM Liz Truss said the UK will never accept the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as part of Russia. She said: "Vladimir Putin has, once again, acted in violation of international law with clear disregard for the lives of the Ukrainian people he claims to represent. "The UK will never ignore the sovereign will of those people and we will never accept the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as anything other than Ukrainian territory. "Putin cannot be allowed to alter international borders using brute force. We will ensure he loses this illegal war." And Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson described the annexation as ...nothing but a complete farce.... ...We condemn the illegal annexation in the strongest terms,... she said. Dutch PM Mark Rutte added: ...The Netherlands will never recognise this annexation, just as we don't recognise the annexation of Crimea.... The Greek foreign ministry said the decision was ...illegal... and ...violates blatantly international law.... Read More on The Sun GRIM REAPER Find out how long you will live - based on 8 surprising factors SPELLBOUND Where Hocus Pocus cast are now - shock firing to cannabis farmer and toxic feud Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leden defiantly said the ...illegal annexation proclaimed by Putin won't change anything.... ...All territories illegally occupied by Russian invaders are Ukrainian land and will always be part of this sovereign nation,... she said. EPARussians gather for celebration after a ceremony to sign treaties on the new territories '/ ' ReutersPutin was late showing up to the huge gathering in the Georgievsky Hall of the Great Kremlin Palace '/ '
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