13:17
Likewise, it calls on the member states not to recognize any annexation of these territories to Russia and demands that Moscow “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from Ukrainian territory.”
13:17
The text “condemns the Russian Federation’s organization of so-called illegal referendums” in the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, as “they are invalid” and “cannot form the basis of any alteration of the status of these regions. “, including “any purported annexation.”
13:17
However, the document, drafted by the United States and Albania, has no sign of being approved, since Russia is one of the five nations with permanent representation in the body (composed of fifteen countries in total) that have veto power. For the resolutions to go ahead, the unanimous support, or at least abstention, of these five nations is necessary (in addition to Russia, they are the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and China).
13:12
With regard to the annexation referendums, in which the ‘yes’ overwhelmingly prevailed (kyiv denounced the harassment of citizens by the Russian military during the voting and the UN certified that the soldiers went house to house with the ballot boxes), the United Nations Security Council plans to vote this Friday on a resolution to condemn the consultations.
13:09
Peskov, in addition, has also criticized that “people who behave irresponsibly talk about a nuclear escalation” and has argued that Russia “does not want to address this issue.” “We ask everyone to behave responsibly,” he said, before asking the rest of the countries that Russia’s nuclear policy “is in writing.”
13:07
Likewise, he stressed that the Russian authorities “will continue to defend their position” in relation to the referendums of recent days in these regions, occupied by Russian forces, and stated that “the entire process took place within the framework of International Law “, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
13:06
“They will not be considered anything else”, said the Kremlin spokesman, Dimitri Peskov, who has stressed that the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk “were recognized in the 2014 borders”, while he has avoided commenting on the borders of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions (whose independence, however, has already been officially recognized by Moscow with the signing of two decrees). “We will clarify everything today,” he stressed.
13:06
However, the annexation process continues and the Kremlin has warned this morning that it will consider any attack against the annexed territories an “aggression” against Russia.
13:04
British Prime Minister Liz Truss has warned that Britain “will never agree” to annexation. Truss has accused the Russian president of using “brute force” to “change international borders.”
Vladimir Putin is once again violating international law with his threats to annex more of Ukraine.
We will not hesitate to take further action, including imposing more sanctions to cripple Putin’s war machine.
We will ensure he loses this illegal war. pic.twitter.com/LhFvzdlx80
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) September 30, 2022
13:02
Other international leaders have also reacted to the news. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has played a leading role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, has called on Putin to give peace talks a “second chance.” A few hours before Moscow formalizes the accession to Russia of the four regions, the Communications Directorate of the Turkish Presidency has indicated in a statement that both leaders have had a telephone conversation in which Erdogan has reiterated that Ankara “is prepared to assume a facilitating role” in contacts between Moscow and kyiv.
12:57
The news has provoked international rejection. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has made it clear in an appearance in Logroño that the Government does not give “the slightest credibility” to the decrees. The Government of Spain “categorically rejects the masquerade of illegal votes that took place in recent days in a part of the territory of Ukraine,” Albares pointed out.
12:54
Putin has already signed the documents that recognize the independence of Kherson and Zaporizhia, after the referendums held last week, which the international community does not recognize.
12:51
Moscow will celebrate with great ceremony the accession of Donetsk, Lugansk, Jershon and Zaporiyia despite international rejection
12:48
Good afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin will appear this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. in Spain) to make official the annexation of four occupied Ukrainian territories, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia.