Putin signs decrees paving way for annexing Ukraine territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia | Russia | The Guardian
Putin signs decrees paving way for annexing Ukraine territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia | Russia | The Guardian: Moscow%20confirmed%20Russia%20would%20annex%20the%20four%20regions%20at%20a%20ceremony%20at%20the%20Kremlin%20on%20Friday.%20Kremlin%20spokesman%20Dmitry%20Peskov%20said%20the%20annexation%20would%20be%20formalised%20at%20the%20ceremony%20and%20President%20Vladimir%20Putin%20would%20deliver%20a%20%u201Cmajor%u201D%20speech.%0A%0AThe%20annexation%20will%20mark%20a%20major%20escalation%20of%20Russia%u2019s%20seven-month-old%20war.%0A%0APutin%20has%20said%20he%20is%20ready%20to%20defend%20those%20territories%20using%20all%20available%20means%2C%20indicating%20he%20would%20be%20willing%20to%20resort%20to%20a%20nuclear%20strike%20in%20order%20to%20avert%20Ukraine%u2019s%20efforts%20to%20liberate%20its%20sovereign%20territory.%0A%0A