With Military Setback Looming, a Defiant Putin Proclaims Ukrainian Annexation
© Reuters/SPUTNIK
Ceremony to declare Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian territories held in Moscow
By Jonathan Landay ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (Reuters) ‑A defiant Vladimir Putin proclaimed Russia’s annexation of a swathe of Ukraine in a pomp-filled Kremlin ceremony, promising Moscow would triumph in its “special military operation” even as he faced a potentially serious new military reversal. The proclamation of Russian rule over 15% of Ukraine — the biggest annexation in Europe since World War Two — was roundly rejected by Ukraine and Western countries as illegal. The Uni …