Russian President Vladimir Putin signed laws on Wednesday that officially annexed four regions of Ukraine into the Russian federation..This move comes as the Russian military is being pushed back in the face of an aggressive Ukrainian counter-offensive..Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters more Ukrainian territories will be "reclaimed," and the Kremlin will continue consulting residents "who would be eager to embrace Russia." Peskov did not clarify what regions he was referring to..Putin said Wednesday that Russia would stabilize the situation in the four regions, an acknowledgement that Russia is still battling Ukrainian forces for full control..Russia's annexation of the regions is the largest since the Second World War and represents up to 18% of Ukraine. Russia threatened to use any means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, to defend Russian territory and the annexed regions..Putin last week signed treaties that absorbed the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia into Russia. This followed Russian-led referendums in those regions, where the majority of people favoured integration into the Russian federation..The Ukrainian government and the West dismissed the referendums as illegitimate. Shortly after Putin signed the annexation legislation, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, Andriy Yermak, said "the worthless decisions of the terrorist country are not worth the paper they are signed on."."A collective insane asylum can continue to live in a fictional world," Yermak added..President Zelenskyy responded to the annexation by fast-tracking its application to join NATO. He also said there would be no negotiations with Russia, claiming Putin's actions made talking to the Russian leader "impossible.".Experts are concerned with Ukraine's desire to join NATO due to the alliance's 'Article 5.' The collective defence agreement stipulates an attack on one NATO country is an attack on the rest, meaning the rest of NATO could be pulled into a hot war with Russia if Ukraine were to be allowed in..In response to the referendums last week, the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly announced additional sanctions on Russia. Canada imposed measures on 43 Russian oligarchs and their family members, the "so-called governing body in Kherson," and 35 Russia-backed senior officials in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.."President Putin’s plans to annex Ukrainian territory have no legitimacy, Joly said, adding that the referendums were a "sham."."The vote in Russia’s Federal Assembly to integrate Ukraine’s territories is an attempt to formalize Putin’s conquest through political theatre. Borders will not change. Ukraine’s territory will remain Ukraine’s.".Since early September, Ukrainian forces have been able to push back the Russian military forces in the east of the country. Thousands of Russian soldiers fled their positions after the frontline crumbled in the face of Ukrainian attacks in mid-September..The Ukrainian military said the country's flag had been raised above seven Kherson region villages previously occupied by the Russians. They also claimed military hospitals were full of injured Russian soldiers and the Russian military medics were low on supplies..However, Moscow-installed Kherson officials insisted Ukrainian advances had been halted.
