Putin called reunification with new regions a historical and fateful event

The reunification of new regions with Russia is a historical and fateful event, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video message, it published on the Kremlin website.

“A year ago, on September 30, a defining, truly historical and fateful event took place: agreements were signed on the admission of four new subjects of the Federation to Russia. Millions of residents of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions have made their choice – to be with their Fatherland,” said the Russian leader on the occasion of the Day of Reunification of the DPR, LPR of Zaporozhye and Kherson regions with Russia.

Putin noted that residents made this “conscious, long-awaited, hard-fought and truly popular decision” together during referendums in full compliance with international standards.

“They tried to intimidate them, to take away the right to determine their own future, their destiny, to take away what is dear to every person – culture, traditions, native language – everything that was hated by the nationalists and their Western patrons who staged a coup in Kiev in 2014,” notes the president.

Putin said that no one can break the will of millions of people, “their faith in truth and historical justice.” He added that the people of Russia supported the choice of the residents “with all their hearts.”

“[Народ] understood and deeply felt the main thing: by defending our compatriots in Donbass and Novorossiya, we are defending Russia itself, together we are fighting for the Motherland, for our sovereignty, spiritual values ​​and unity, for victory,” the president emphasized. At the end of the address, the Russian leader thanked the residents of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

On September 30, 2022, Putin signed agreements on the inclusion of new territories into Russia with the heads of the DPR and LPR, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. In September of this year, elections of heads of constituent entities of the Russian Federation were held in new regions under Russian legislation. As a result, Evgeny Balitsky and Vladimir Saldo were elected governors of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, respectively, and Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin were elected heads of the LPR and DPR. All of them previously held positions of acting heads of their regions.

On September 28 this year, President signed law on celebrating September 30 as the Day of Reunification of New Regions with Russia. According to it, it is proposed to equate the day of annexation of regions with the days of military glory.