Putin’s nuclear threat to ‘defend Russia’ after four Ukrainian territories annexed as Kyiv applies to join Nato
30 September 2022, 13:29 | Updated: 30 September 2022, 17:22
Vladimir Putin has vowed to use 'any means possible' to defend the four Ukrainian regions annexed to Russia today.
The Russian president made a new 'nuclear threat' after making the biggest land grab since World War Two.
Speaking to those gathered after he announced the results from his 'sham' gunpoint referendums, he made claims about the West and their actions around the world.
He said the USA created the 'precedent' for using nuclear weapons by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War.
Britain also said will be stepping up sanctions against Russia after the ‘illegal’ annexation of four areas in Ukraine.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky announced his country are submitting an ‘accelerated’ application to join the Nato military alliance.
Mr Zelensky said: "We are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine's application for accelerated accession to Nato."It follows ‘sham’ gunpoint referendums, viewed as illegitimate by leaders of the West, in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly said the measures would restrict Russia to key UK commercial and transactional services as well as banning the export of Russia of 700 goods that they desperately need.
Mr Cleverly said in a statement: “The UK utterly condemns Putin’s announcement of the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. We will never recognise the results of these sham referendums or any annexation of Ukrainian territory.
“The Russian regime must be held to account for this abhorrent violation of international law. That’s why we are working with our international partners to ramp up the economic pressure through new targeted services bans. What happens in Ukraine matters to us all, and the UK will do everything possible to assist their fight for freedom."
