Russia: Reactions to annexation intensify – Ukraine announces military successes

Created: 2022-10-02 04:54

By: Lucas Maier, Sarah Neumeyer

Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Ukrainian regions on Friday.

Internationally, reactions to Russia's actions are intensifying.

+++ 6.50 a.m

.: A few hours after the annexation of several areas by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj announced the success of his army in the east of the country.

"Everyone has heard what is happening in Lyman," said Zelenskyj in a video speech on Saturday night, with a view of the strategically important small town in the Donetsk region, which has just been incorporated into Moscow.

Previously, the Donetsk occupation chief Denis Puschilin had already admitted the almost complete encirclement of Russian troops in Lyman by Ukrainian soldiers.

More than seven months after the war began, Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Cherson and Zaporizhia in addition to Donetsk on Friday.

Internationally, this illegal step is not recognized.

Immediately after the annexation of his country's four territories, Zelenskyy announced that he wanted to apply for Ukraine's accelerated accession to NATO.

"In fact, we have already made our way into NATO," he said.

"Today, Ukraine is applying to do it de jure," he added.

After the annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the successes of his army in the east of the country.

© dpa

Russia: Reactions to annexation intensify – New sanctions announced

+++ 9:15 p.m .:

“Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue to liberate our country and our people and restore our territorial integrity,” reacted Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister in relation to the annexation by Russia.

The 41-year-old wrote via the short message service Twitter that Putin was trying to annex areas that he did not even have physical control over.

Meanwhile, the first international consequences of the Kremlin's annexations follow.

The G7 countries: USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK, as well as the EU, announced further sanctions against "political or economic supporters" of the recent Russian actions, according to

.

Russia caught in sanctions crossfire: International community reacts to Putin's annexation

In response to the annexation of Ukrainian territories, Britain has announced that it will impose sanctions and export bans, the British government said in the evening.

Meanwhile, Canada has imposed sanctions on 43 Russian oligarchs and their families, the Ukrainian news portal

reports.

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Putin's annexation: Zakharova counters criticism of the redrawing of borders - and also attacks Germany

News in the Ukraine war: NATO Secretary General speaks of the “shartest escalation since the beginning of the war”

+++ 8:07 p.m .:

After Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions in the afternoon, international reactions to Russia’s actions intensified.

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg told media representatives in Brussels in the evening that Putin's land grab was "the sharpest escalation since the beginning of the war".

He condemned Putin's engaging in "nuclear saber-rattling" and reiterated NATO's "unwavering support" for Ukraine.

“None of that shows strength.

It shows weakness, ”emphasized the Norwegian in Brussels, as the

writes.

Information comes directly from the live stream from Phoenix on site.

Moscow in a frenzy: Putin compared “Western elites” to Joseph Goebbels

+++ 3.50 p.m .:

The “ceremony” in the Kremlin Palace and the signing of the annexation papers are over.

A central part of the annexation "ceremony" in the Kremlin was the speech by President Vladimir Putin.

The ruler from Moscow primarily attacked the "West".

Among other things, he accused him of anti-Russian attitudes and compared “Western elites” to Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda leader under Adolf Hitler.

The Ukraine War in Pictures - Destruction, Resistance and Hope

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Annexation by Russia: Putin's speech less explosive than expected

Putin made no major announcements or references to new restrictions in Russia.

Also with regard to the Ukraine war, Putin has not announced any major innovations.

Following Putin's speech and the signing of the annexation papers, there will now be "celebrations" in Moscow's Red Square.

+++ 3 p.m.:

The four representatives of the Ukrainian regions step forward.

After Putin himself signs the annexation papers, the signatures of the representatives follow.

The annexation has thus been completed, followed by a mandatory review of the annexation in Russia.

In fact, the annexation of the regions has been completed.

Putin is standing with the four representatives in front of the audience for the national anthem, the entire hall has stood up for it.

+++ 2:58 p.m .:

In his propaganda speech, Putin addresses the freedom from same-sex relationships and the recognition of trans identities that prevail in the “West”.

"You can now surgically choose your gender, we don't want that here," said the Russian ruler.

Speech by Putin: "Western elites" are compared to Goebbels in the Kremlin

+++ 2:55 p.m .:

In his speech, Putin is becoming more and more abusive towards the “West”.

He accuses the politicians of the "West" of pure propaganda.

Here he compares the "Western elites" with speeches by Goebbels.

However, according to the ruler in Moscow, this propaganda would not bring any warmth to the people.

+++ 2.45 p.m .:

Putin speaks of a “western colonialism” towards Russia.

He accuses the “Western elites” of discriminating against people.

As a result, the Russian ruler lists a large number of colonial crimes in the West from the 20th century.

Putin quickly equated the rampant neoliberalism with racism from the West.

• Annexation of territories in Ukraine

• Regions:

  Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia

• Moscow:

  "Certificate of signing the contracts" begins at 3 p.m. (local time) in the Kremlin.

  (2 p.m. after Central European Summer Time)

• Red Square:

  Then there will be a big celebration in Moscow.

• Source:

  Tagesschau

He stages Russia as an open, non-discriminatory country.

The ruler repeatedly refers to the allegedly free decisions made by the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Cherson regions.

So far, Putin's propaganda speech has seemed like a random series of accusations against the West.

The ex-KGB agent accuses the “West” of human experiments in Ukraine, among other things, without there being any evidence of such acts.

Putin also attributes the explosion at the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to the “West”.

Russia annexes areas of Ukraine: "We call on the representatives of Ukraine to come to the negotiating table"

+++ 2.35 p.m .:

In the Kremlin, Putin calls on Ukraine to end the war against Russia.

The ruler of Russia uses the results of the sham referendums as confirmation of this.

"We call on the representatives of Ukraine to come to the negotiating table," Putin said.

In his speech, Putin addressed the families of the "special operation" soldiers in Ukraine.

He speaks of the fact that many would voluntarily carry out their patriotic duty.

Most recently, as a result of the partial mobilization, there were repeated protests.

Many Russians have also left the country to avoid serving at the front.

+++ 2:25 p.m .:

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared in front of the audience in the Kremlin.

The President begins his speech in Moscow almost 20 minutes late.

At the beginning, Putin refers to the sham referenda in the four regions of Ukraine.

Shortly thereafter, he referred to the self-determination of peoples under UN law.

The UN had already denied recognizing the referendums in advance.

War in Ukraine: Putin keeps his audience waiting – Previously there was criticism from his own ranks

Update from Friday, September 30, 2:10 p.m .:

In the Kremlin, the audience is waiting for the beginning of the “celebrations” for the annexation.

The start was actually announced for 3 p.m. local time.

Many Russians are eagerly awaiting Putin's speech in front of the packed Kremlin palace.

Many fear that the ruler could announce further restrictions for the Russian population, as an

spokesman reports.

The event had previously been criticized.

reports that it is not the time to celebrate while Russian soldiers are dying in the war .

In the Kremlin, high-profile politicians such as Defense Minister Sergei Shoig are also represented in the audience.

Update from Friday, September 30, 1:55 p.m .:

While the “celebrations” for the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. local time in Moscow, reports are mounting that the Russian military and its allies are experiencing massive problems in at least one of the regions should have.

In Donetsk, the strategically important small town of Lyman is said to be almost completely surrounded by Ukrainian troops.

The head of the Donetsk separatists, Denis Puschilin, recently confirmed the military setback, as the

writes.

The Donetsk region affected by the annexation is only about half under Russian control.

First report from Friday, September 30th:

Moscow – It has been discussed for a long time, now the time has actually come: Vladimir Putin and annexes four regions from the national territory of Ukraine.

While everything is being prepared for a huge celebration in Moscow, sometimes the boundaries of the areas are not even clear.

Russia intends to incorporate the Luhansk, Donetsk, Cherson and Zaporizhia oblasts into the Russian Federation in a signing process on Friday (September 30).

This was preceded by “sham referenda” in the four regions.

Ukraine war: Russia wants to start the annexation from 3 p.m

"In the Grand Kremlin Palace at 3 p.m. the ceremony of signing the treaties on the accession of the new territories to the Russian Federation will take place.

They held referendums and turned to the Russian side with the corresponding request," the

quoted Russian spokesman Peskov as saying.

However, shortly before the start of the procedure, the boundaries of the areas do not seem to have been determined.

While the two regions in eastern Ukraine, Luhansk and Donetsk, are to be annexed within their 2014 borders, the Kremlin is uncertain about the other two.

Two hours before the planned signing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said in Moscow that he could not say anything about the borders of Cherson and Zaporizhia, as the

wrote.

In contrast to the annexation of Crimea in 2014, fewer people are behind the annexation of the Ukrainian territories, according to ARD correspondent Ina Ruck from Moscow.

Moscow: Shortly before the planned annexation, the borders have not yet been determined

While Russia still seems unsure about the exact borders, the majority of Western politicians condemn the planned annexation.

"We will not accept these supposed results, we will not accept these border shifts!" said Federal President Steinmeier on Friday (September 30) on Russia's project.

Equally clear words come from the United Kingdom.

"The UK will never ignore the sovereign will of these people and will never accept the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions as anything other than Ukrainian," said British Prime Minister Liz Truss in Moscow.

A speech by Vladimir Putin is also expected during the “ceremony”, as

reported by the Moscow

It remains to be seen whether there will be far-reaching announcements about the further course of the war.

(Lucas Maier)

While there are supposed to be celebrations in Moscow, Russian recruits are sent into the Ukraine war completely unprepared.