Thread by @WhereisRussia

1hr until Putin formalizes the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

We will provide live updates & translations on the event & his speech.

Nothing that is said or written today will change the fact that Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk & Zaporizhzhia belong to 🇺🇦.

#Ukraine

The Russian imposed heads of the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions have arrived at the Kremlin for today's annexation ceremony.

Despite their smiles, none of these men fully control their respective regions, with Ukrainian counter operations reclaiming more land each day.

Russian officials are now gathered in the main hall, awaiting Putin's speech.

Amongst them, the four heads of the regions to be annexed and Ramzan Kadyrov.

#Russia #Putin

Once again, Putin is late.

Russian officials check their phones as Putin fails to arrive on time.

Putin has now arrived.

LIVE:

Putin claims that the four regions have voted to become part of the Russian Federation.

Putin refers, unsarcastically, to the UN protection of the right to self determination.

This is despite most UN nations condemning these fraudulent and illegal referendums.

The UN Charter also enshrines the protection of territorial sovereignty.

#Putin #Russia

He once again refers to the collapse of the Soviet Union as a "tragedy".

Putin claims that the last leaders of the Soviet Union went against the will of the soviet people in breaking into smaller states.

He then says, but we can no longer recreate the Soviet Union, and we do not seek this. Russia does not need it.

Put says that the people of the four annexed regions will be "Russian citizens forever".

He demands that Ukraine cease all military operations and come to the negotiating table.

Though he emphasizes that these newly annexed territories are non-negotiable.

Putin claims that the West is looking for new opportunities to break up the Russian Federation into smaller states.

#Disinformation

Putin claims that the USA is trying subjugate all other countries.

He says this as part of a speech that seeks to subjugate four regions of Ukraine.

The hypocrisy is astounding.

#Putin #UkraineRussiaWar

The hypocrisy continues:

Putin now says that western states are authoritarian, not Russia.

#Disinformation

Putin states: we will ensure the security and protection of these new regions. They will have the full protection as part of the greater Motherland.

#Putin #disinformation

Putin claims that the US is brutally forcing other nations to join NATO.

This is despite the fact that all nations have voted democratically to join NATO in accordance with domestic and international law.

#CounterDisinformation

Large parts of Putin's speech are barely intelligible.

His incoherent historical lecture is causing visible confusion amongst his audience.

#Putin #Russia #UkraineWar

Bizarrely, a speech about annexation has now become focused on Putin's desire to combat the West's promotion of 'pornography, homosexuality, deviancy, transgender people and Satanism'.

Our translation team has never worked on such a strange source.

The Kremlin-imposed head of the four annexed regions have now been invited to sign the official annexation documents.

Putin sits at a separate table from his so-called "close allies".

#Putin #Russia #Ukraine️

All of the illegal documents have now been signed by both Putin and the heads of each regional regime.

#UkraineRemainsUnchanged

The ceremony has now been concluded.