The Government has slapped a wave of fresh sanctions an export bans on Russia after Putin annexed four regions of Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UK has also been summoned by UK officials after Putin confirmed the four territories Luhansk, Dnetsk, Khereson and Zaporizhzhia, have been absorbed by Russia.
Andrei Kelin will be told “in the strongest possible terms” of Britain’s objections to the move which is widely regarded as illegal by Western nations, the Foreign Office has said.
Putin has annexed 15% of Ukraine in order to claim his own territory is under attack by Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky’s forces.
Image:
BBC/AFP via Getty Images)Liz Truss has accused Vladimir Putin of breaching international law, as the Russian President plans to formally annex four Ukrainian regions.
In a statement, the Prime Minister said: “Vladimir Putin has, once again, acted in violation of international law with clear disregard for the lives of the Ukrainian people he claims to represent.
“The UK will never ignore the sovereign will of those people and we will never accept the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as anything other than Ukrainian territory.
“Putin cannot be allowed to alter international borders using brute force. We will ensure he loses this illegal war.”
The UK will never recognise a series of “illegal annexations” of Ukrainian territory by Russia, the Defence Secretary has said.
Ben Wallace tweeted: “The UK will never recognise Russia’s illegal annexations in Ukraine.
"Russia doesn’t even control some of these oblasts.
“The truth is Russia is losing in Ukraine and their incompetent Generals are sending thousands to their deaths to please President Putin’s imperialist fantasy.”
Former prime minister Boris Johnson tweeted on Friday: “ Vladimir Putin your speech is a fraud and a disgrace.”
“The world must never accept your sham referendums or your cruel and illegal attempt to colonise Ukraine.
“We stand with the people of Ukraine and will support them without flinching until their country is whole and free.”
Last week, western officials told the Mirror Putin's ‘sham’ annexation vote was a sign of weakness as Russia still does not fully control the four occupied regions of Ukraine.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “The Kremlin wants the semblance of a decisive electoral mandate to try and justify the eventual Russian annexation of parts of Ukraine.
“Our information shows Russian officials are setting targets for invented voter turnouts and approval rates for these sham referenda. For example, in some regions, they have reportedly already set the required figures for voter turnout and support for accession into Russia at needing to be over 75%.
“Russia has also agreed in advance what will happen after these referenda."
This is a breaking story. It is being updated.
