Putin escalates war with annexations – Russia

Red Square in Moscow appears all in blue: numerous open-air stages and screens have been erected and clad in blue banners. The inscription emblazoned on it – “Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Russia. Together forever!” – makes it unmistakably clear what will be announced there on Friday afternoon around 3 p.m. local time via live broadcast by Vladimir Putin: the annexation of these four occupied areas of Ukraine after the residents voted in pseudo-referendums in violation of international law in favor of joining the Russian Federation – probably also because some of the ballot papers were handed out by armed men.