Putin Signs Final Document for Russia's Annexation of Occupied Ukrainian Territories... Official Declaration as Territory

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the law on the annexation of four occupied regions in Ukraine. This completes all legal procedures for Russia's annexation just 8 days after the referendum held in the occupied territories on the 27th of last month and 5 days after the treaty was signed. Amid ongoing opposition from Ukraine and the international community, peace negotiations are expected to become even more distant.

According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 5th (local time), President Putin completed the annexation process by signing the law related to the annexation of four regions?Donetsk, Luhansk (Ukrainian name Luhansk), Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia?sent by the Russian parliament. The day before, the Russian Federation Council unanimously ratified the annexation treaty for these occupied territories. The treaty had also been unanimously passed by the State Duma on the 3rd and was only awaiting President Putin's signature.

President Putin signed the annexation treaty with the occupied territories at the Kremlin on the 30th of last month after these regions decided to join Russia through referendums held from the 23rd to the 27th. On the 2nd, the Constitutional Court ruled the treaty constitutional, and thereafter, the upper and lower houses ratified the treaty, with the legal procedures proceeding rapidly.

However, Ukraine and the international community do not recognize this annexation. In particular, Ukraine continues its offensive to reclaim territory as Russia officially forcibly annexes the occupied regions as its own territory. Immediately after the treaty was signed, Ukraine recaptured Lyman, a strategic point heading to eastern Luhansk Oblast, and broke through about 30 km of the front line along the Dnipro River in southern Kherson Oblast.

The United States and Western countries have condemned the annexation as a violation of international law and are pushing for additional sanctions against Russia and weapons support for Ukraine. However, Russia threatens that the annexed occupied territories are its own territory and that it may use nuclear weapons to defend them.