Russia annexes parts of Ukraine

Putin vows to protect newly annexed regions by `all available means'

KYIV Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties Friday to illegally annex more occupied Ukrainian territory in a sharp escalation of his seven-month invasion. Ukraine's president countered with a surprise application to join the NATO military alliance.

Putin's land-grab and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's signing of what he said is an “accelerated” NATO membership application sent the two leaders speeding faster on a collision course that is fuelling fears of a full-blown conflict between Russia and the West.

Putin vowed to protect newly annexed regions of Ukraine by “all available means,” a renewed nuclear-backed threat he made at a Kremlin signing ceremony where he also railed furiously against the West, accusing the United States and its allies of seeking Russia's destruction.

Zelenskyy then held a signing ceremony of his own in Kyiv, releasing video of him putting pen to papers he said were a formal NATO membership request.

Putin has repeatedly made clear that any prospect of Ukraine joining the world's largest military alliance is one of his red lines and cited it as a justification for his invasion — the biggest land war in Europe since the Second World War.

In his speech, Putin urged Ukraine to sit down for peace talks but immediately insisted he won't discuss handing back occupied regions. Zelenskyy said there'd be no negotiations with Putin.

“We are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but with another president of Russia,” the Ukrainian president said.

In his signing ceremony in the Kremlin's ornate St. George's Hall, Putin accused the West of fuelling the hostilities as part of what he said is a plan to turn Russia into a “colony” and “crowds of slaves.” The hardening of his position, in the conflict that has killed and wounded tens of thousands of people, ratcheted up tensions to levels unseen since the Cold War.

Western countries responded with an avalanche of condemnation and announcement of more punishment of Russia. The U.S. announced sanctions for more than 1,000 people and firms connected to Russia's invasion, including its Central Bank governor.

Of Putin's annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, President Joe Biden said: “Make no mistake: These actions have no legitimacy.”

The European Union rejected and condemned “the illegal annexation.” Its 27 member states said they will never recognize the illegal referendums that Russia organized “as a pretext for this further violation of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

NATO Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg called it “the largest attempted annexation of European territory by force since the Second World War.” He said the war is at “a pivotal moment,” and that Putin's decision to annex more territory — Russia now has claimed to have sovereignty over 15 per cent of the country — marks “the most serious escalation since the start of the war.”

Zelenskyy vowed to keep fighting, defying Putin's warnings that Ukraine shouldn't try to take back what it has lost.

“The entire territory of our country will be liberated from this enemy,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Russia already knows this. It feels our power.”

The immediate ramifications of the “accelerated” NATO application weren't clear, because approval requires members' unanimous support. The supply of Western weapons to Ukraine has, however, already put it closer to the alliance's orbit.

“De facto, we have already proven compatibility with alliance standards,” Zelenskyy said.

“We trust each other, we help each other, and we protect each other.”

Putin's Kremlin ceremony came three days after the completion in occupied regions of Moscow-orchestrated “referendums” on joining Russia that Kyiv and the West dismissed as a barefaced land grab held at gunpoint and based on lies.

In his fiery speech at the ceremony, Putin insisted that Ukraine must treat the Kremlin-managed votes “with respect.”

After the signing ceremony of treaties to join Russia, Moscow-installed leaders of the occupied regions gathered around Putin and they all linked hands, joining chants of “Russia! Russia!” with the audience.

Putin cut an angry figure as he accused the United States and its allies of seeking to destroy Russia. He said the West acted “as a parasite” and used its financial and technological strength “to rob the entire world.”

He portrayed Russia as pursuing a historical mission to reclaim its post-soviet great power status and counter Western domination that he said is collapsing.

“History has called us to a battlefield to fight for our people, for the grand historic Russia, for future generations,” he said.

Moscow has backed the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine since declaring independence in 2014, weeks after the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

Russia captured the southern Kherson region and part of neighbouring Zaporizhzhia soon after Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Both houses of the Kremlin-controlled Russian parliament will meet next week to rubber-stamp the treaties for the regions to join Russia, sending them to Putin for his approval.