Putin signs annexation of Ukrainian regions as losses mount

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ADAM SCHRECK

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the final papers Wednesday to annex four regions of Ukraine while his military struggled to control the new territory that was added in violation of international laws.

Ukrainian law enforcement officials, meanwhile, reported discovering more evidence of torture and killings in areas retaken from Russian forces.

The documents finalizing the annexation were published on a Russian government website. In a defiant move, the Kremlin held the door open for further land grabs in Ukraine.

Speaking in a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia.”



Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with the winners and finalists of the School Teacher of the Year national contest via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-international-law-donetsk-9fcd11c11936dd700db94ab725f2b7d6?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_01

[Ray Bruns]

1. I guess he had to hurry since it looks like he won't be in control of those territories much longer.

[maxsolomon]

2. Who's he filing these with? The UN?

Maybe Elon Musk?

[Chainfire]

3. I don't know why he stopped there, why not "annex" the rest of Ukraine, Poland, and E. Germany while

he has the pen out? Hell, he could annex D.C. if the mood strikes him.

[FredGarvin]

4. I annexed Moscow today

What's the diff?

[C_U_L8R]

5. It looks like Poot's desk is annexing his television stand

And why does he need 3 phones? One for each ear and... ?

[Farmer-Rick]

7. Yeah, that humongous desk

Seems to be growing out. I bet a whole Russian family could live under that thing for a decade.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. This stunt will not help Putin

Link to tweet

[Marthe48]

8. What does it profit a man to gain the world

but lose his soul?

Biblical, but appropriate. He looks like a megalomaniac, if ever I saw one.

[LiberalLovinLug]

9. And if Ukraine manages to avoid Russian nukes, and reclaims its territories......

Putin will use this as a propaganda tool against ordinary Russians for many years. How Nazi Ukraine with the US and the evil West STOLE Russian land. Land that the citizens had voted to be part of Russia, a country they rightly and traditionally belonged to.

It will curb any movements of acceptance of their countries role in being the aggressors, and the war crimes they committed. And as long as Putin has a solid 30% even, of hardlined indoctrinated Russians, he can steal any future election, and galvanize Russians together.

[Lasher]

10. That's a tall order. I think Putin will use tactical nukes.

Please don't ask me to back this up because I can't. It's just a feeling I have. I hope I'm wrong.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. Putin may order a nuke strike in Ukr, and that's a big maybe,

but will the Russian High Command go along with it?

They're under no illusions of what will happen if there are nukes used in Ukr.
My gut feeling is that they will not obey such an order and will somehow pull a Lavrentiy Beria on his ass.

[Lasher]

19. I hope you are right.

And I hope I am wrong about this.

[LiberalLovinLug]

12. Are you saying its a tall order for Ukraine to defeat Russia if Putin uses nukes?

I would hope that NATO finally gets involved more directly if Putin uses a nuke. In fact, I wish they'd give him a more specific ultimatum. That NATO will take out their naval fleet in the Black Sea, and/or all their western military bases. That Russia will be decimated militarily, and economically if they dare to do this.

But if Putin does order nuclear strikes, even if he manages to regain ground again, perhaps even take Kiev, or whats left of it, all it means is that the war will go on for longer. There is no way that the West, and Ukraine expecially, will let that stand. They will eventually win. Nukes will just stall things, and also of course cause untold more suffering and death and destruction.

What I'm hoping for is that Putin is deposed by his inner circle, but better yet, by a mass movement of Russians fed up with him. Of course many of Putin's fascist cohorts will claim it was all Putin's idea. And that he was not wrong to blame the West for forcing Russia to act, but just jumped the gun too rashly.

[Lasher]

17. I guess not.

But surely it would be at least a little more difficult if he does.

[IronLionZion]

13. I've annexed Russian gas fields and pipelines today

in my mind

[LiberalFighter]

14. If they were really annexed he would show up in person in those areas.

[Talitha]

15. Pootie's circling the bowl...

[myohmy2]

16. was...

...putin's anti-Zelensky good friend trump invited to the signing?

...hmmmm

"...and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia."

...all three of them?

...

[SouthernDem4ever]

18. Putin is the only one who recognizes his annexation

I hope the Saudis don't boost his economy with their stupid plans of tightening oil production.

[EndlessWire]

20. This is laughable.

99% of the world does not recognize this phony, self-serving, land-grab. And, he's losing! He's gonna be lucky if Ukraine doesn't take back Crimea. That's what it will amount to, Ukraine doesn't plan to do anything but secure its borders. Period.

I think that he will use one tactical nuke. But, I see this as a test inside his own border, so he can say that. Like, he did with the buildup in February. He'll be really sorry if he does. The reason I say this is that he painted himself into a corner with his posturing. But, I also think that it will scare the average Russian so bad that they might call him out on it. I hope that we show restraint, but NATO isn't going to be happy about it. And, all of this is on Russia. Nobody was bothering them. But, they had to come on and eff with our election, eff with Ukraine, and threaten NATO.

Kick him out of the UN. Keep digging your hole, Vlad, and see what it gets you.