Russia's Illegal Annexation of Ukrainian Territory: Experts Respond

On Friday, September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed four accession treaties declaring that the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine are now a part of Russia. This move, which forcibly claims 15% of Ukraine's territory, follows a series of sham referenda wherein citizens were forced to vote (yes) on the question of whether they wanted to join Russia. HURI joins the international community in absolute condemnation of this action, which violates international norms and escalates the months-long brutal, unprovoked war. 

During the accession ceremony, Putin delivered a speech imbued with vitriol against the West, indicating that he will protect Russia's territorial claims even if he must use nuclear weapons to do so. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially submitted Ukraine's application to join NATO and asserted that there will be no peace talks with Russia so long as Putin is in power. 

In our latest TCUP Commentary post, we've rounded up responses from HURI experts, who reflect on the significance of this development and what it might mean for the future of the war, Ukraine, and Russia. We've also collected some Twitter threads by experts who shared remarks on the annexation announcement. We will add to the page as more responses come in. 

Read the commentary