 Vladimir Putin has vowed 'nothing and no-one' will stop him achieving 'victory' in Ukraine, as one of his top cronies hinted Russia could seek to seize more parts. Putin, 71, appeared with an unexplained blotch on his forehead for an address marking the first anniversary of its annexation of four Ukrainian regions. He hailed the illegal incorporation of the so-called the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics along with parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson 'a defining and truly historic event'. The West has denounced both the referendum votes carried out last year and the recent ballots as a sham. The votes were held as Russian authorities attempted to tighten their grip on territories Moscow illegally annexed a year ago and still does not fully control. Putin said he acted to restore 'something every person values, namely culture, traditions, and mother tongue' among mainly Russian-speaking people. This was 'everything that was loathed by nationalists and their Western patrons who orchestrated a coup in Kyiv in 2014 and then unleashed a full-scale civil war and terror against dissenters and organised blockades, constant shelling, and punitive actions in Donbas'. A man with his face painted in Russian national colors attends a rally to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's annexation of four regions of Ukraine (Picture: EPA) Seeking to justify his war, he vowed: 'Nothing and no-one can break the will of millions of people, or their belief in truth and historical justice. 'The free and unequivocal choice of our brothers and sisters was wholeheartedly supported by the Russian people. 'We understood and deeply felt the most important thing: by defending our compatriots in Donbas and Novorossiya, we are defending Russia itself. 'Together, we are fighting for the Motherland, fo){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Vladimir Putin has vowed ‘nothing and no-one’ will stop him achieving ‘victory’ in Ukraine, as one of his top cronies hinted Russia could seek to seize more parts.
Putin, 71, appeared with an unexplained blotch on his forehead for an address marking the first anniversary of its annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
He hailed the illegal incorporation of the so-called the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics along with parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson ‘a defining and truly historic event’.
The West has denounced both the referendum votes carried out last year and the recent ballots as a sham.