In violation of international law, Putin declares the annexation of certain regions of Ukraine

On Friday, President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia will annex nearly a fifth of Ukraine and that the millions of residents there would become citizens of Russia "forever."

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Putin's statement, which was made in a formal speech on Friday at the lavish St. George's Hall in the Kremlin, comes after phoney referendums that were universally denounced as "shams" by Ukraine and Western countries.

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The annexations might be the beginning of a risky new stage in Russia's offensive against Ukraine. In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have successfully

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driven Russian soldiers out of some of Donetsk, in part because of the cutting-edge weapons that the US and other allies have delivered.

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