What's happened
Putin expected to announce annexation of Ukrainian territories
Why it matters
The annexation of the regions sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in the seven-month war in Ukraine. The West and Kyiv have dismissed the referendums as a sham and pledged not to recognise the results. Russia's warning of using nuclear weapons to defend its own territory, including newly acquired lands, has heightened tensions between Russia and the West.
What the papers say
The Independent characterises the referendums as a sham and reports that the West and Kyiv have dismissed the results. The British Defence Ministry bulletin suggests that Russia's leaders hope that any accession announcement will be seen as a vindication of the special military operation and will consolidate patriotic support for the conflict. AP News reports that the annexation of the regions sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in the seven-month war in Ukraine. The sources agree that Russia warned it could resort to deploying nuclear weapons to defend its own territory, including newly acquired lands.
How we got here
The annexation of the regions follows a seven-month war in Ukraine. The West and Kyiv have dismissed the referendums as a sham and pledged not to recognise the results.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which it borders to the east and north-east.
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.