MOSCOW, September 30 – Novosti. Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed Kyiv and the West: the people of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions will become our citizens forever.
“I want the Kiev authorities and their real masters in the West to hear me, so that everyone remembers this – people living in Lugansk , Donetsk , Kherson and Zaporozhye become our citizens. Forever,” Putin said at the signing ceremony of agreements on joining the Russian new territories.
Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin called its goal “the protection of people who have been subjected to genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.” After the liberation of a number of territories, referendums were held in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions on joining Russia. In the DPR, 99.23% were in favor of joining, in the LPR – 98.42%, in the Kherson region – 87.05%, in the Zaporozhye region – 93.11%.
Ukraine and Western countries have announced that they will not recognize the results of the vote. Russia, in response to the UN Security Council , stated that by not recognizing the referenda, the West is showing double standards.
