The event at the Kremlin -- a turning point in post-Soviet history -- came hours after shelling killed 30 people in Ukraine's southern region of Zaporizhzhia in one of the worst attacks against civilians in months.
"We call on the Kyiv regime to immediately stop fighting and stop all hostilities... and return to the negotiating table."Putin -- rarely seen making physical contact since the pandemic -- joined hands with his proxy leaders from the annexed regions and they shouted along in unison on state TV. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg slammed the annexation as"illegal and illegitimate" but remained non-committal after Ukraine said it was applying to join the Western alliance.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Friday that Washington would announce an"immediate" new weapons shipment for Kyiv next week. Bodies in civilian clothes were strewn across the ground after the attack and windows of cars blown out."The waitress gave it to me. And there was a bang. She got scared and left the cafe. A few minutes later, there was another explosion. Now she is on the floor," he said.In Moscow, at least 10,000 people convened for state-organised annexation celebrations, with huge banners emblazoned:"Donetsk. Lugansk. Zaporizhzhia. Kherson.
Together, the five regions make up around 20 percent of Ukraine, where forces in recent weeks have been clawing back territory.Ukrainian forces were on the doorstep of Lyman in Donetsk, which Moscow's forces pummelled for weeks to capture this summer.
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