Zelensky signing an application to join NATO

Baghdad-INA 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
responded to Russia's annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions by signing an application to join NATO.

Zelensky said in a statement that "Ukraine has worked to strengthen its relations with Nato and we have started procedures to join the alliance, as has Sweden and Finland."
"We have taken a decisive step by signing Ukraine's request for rapid accession to NATO," he added, stressing that "his country will not negotiate with Russia as long as its president, Vladimir Putin, is in power.".

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian presidency announced the holding of a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council headed by Zelensky, to discuss confronting Russia's attempts to annex Ukrainian lands.

Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed with the political leaders of Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Lugansk regions accession agreements to the Russian Federation.
During his speech at the signing ceremony, Putin said that "the choice of the people of the four regions is victory with the Russian homeland, and they have become Russian citizens forever after being subjected to years of siege and hatred."