Putin to annex occupied Ukrainian regions at ceremony after 'sham' votes

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Russia will formally annex four regions of Ukraine partially controlled by its military, the Kremlin announced Thursday, in a major political escalation of the war against its neighbor.

It comes after Moscow-backed authorities staged votes in the occupied regions of Ukraine's east and south that were widely denounced as a sham to justify a land grab following Russia's recent military setbacks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend a ceremony on the accession of the four regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia — at the Kremlin's St. George's Hall on Friday.

"There will be a big speech by Putin there too," Peskov said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-russia-annex-occupied-ukrainian-regions-ceremony-rcna49936

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Apparently his potential "exit strategy" as a declaration of "victory" that no one else in the world but his toadies will recognize.

[gab13by13]

1. Hey, it worked in Crimea.

[IronLionZion]

2. It worked in Austria back in the day

[sop]

3. Zelenskyy should formally declare the four regions are still part of Ukraine after all the absentee

referendum votes have been counted. He can even bring in Steve Kornacki for one of his arm-waving performances in front of a map of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia on the big board.

[Lovie777]

4. Ukraine will ignore and continue to take back it's territories ....

Russians will continue to leave and Putin will look every day like Hitler.

Ukraine will win.

[Rhiannon12866]

11. +100

[Roy Rolling]

5. The Best Defense?

A good offense.

[Botany]

6. "There will be a big speech by Putin there too."

Fine let Putin himself give it in downtown Kharkiv or Kyiv itself.

[Bayard]

7. Like trump

I say its mine, so its mine.

I hope Ukraine will continue to fight, and take back, those regions. This continuing annexation business is crap. If TFG could have gotten away with it--like his hero, Putin--he'd have annexed Greenland.

[tanyev]

10. Oh man, the triumphant ceremony he would have planned if his coup had succeeded.

*shudder*

[maxsolomon]

8. this war is far from over.

it will take years to dislodge Russia.

[sarisataka]

9. Who saw that coming

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

12. If there is justice...

...one day the hyenas will eat the bastard.