Explained: Russia to annex four regions of Ukraine today

New Delhi, Sep 30: After seven months of conflict with Ukraine, Russia is all set to host a Kremlin ceremony in Moscow on Friday in which President Vladimir Putin will annex four Ukrainian regions.

President spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the annexation of four regions will be formalized at a ceremony held at Kremlin Palace today in which the four regions will be incorporated into Russia.

The ceremony is followed by the referendum held in the four regions: Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, Donetsk and Luhansk in the east.

However, Ukraine and the Western world decried the decision of annexing four regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers are fighting against the Russian troops and pushing them back in the east near the Donetsk region.

The importance of four regions:

The area of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk is believed to be 15 per cent of Ukraine. The size of the four regions is reported equal to the size of Hungary or Portugal. Reuters in a report said that the four regions amount to more than 90,000 square km.

If we add Crimea, the part of Ukraine that Russia annexed in 2014, would be altogether 20 per cent of Ukraine.

After the annexation of four new regions of Ukraine, Russia will have the upper hand in the region as these four regions create a land corridor between Russia and Crimea.

What the west can do after the annexation:

Soon after Russia started attacked on Ukraine in February this year, the European Union led by the United States imposed sanctions on Moscow.

Severe sanctions were imposed on Russian banks, wealthy individuals, businesses and state-owned enterprises.

Following the invasion, some of the Russian Banks were cut from SWIFT. The European Union and the US shut airspace for Russian flights. Also, the yachts of Russian oligarchs were seized in Europe to mount pressure on Russia. Russia was cut from different sports bodies.

The western country intended to control Russia with sanctions on the economy. However, the sanctions have not so far brought results.

Russia has not stopped its offensive against Ukraine.

As the annexation of four regions will be announced today, the west will impose additional sanctions on Russia.

According to a report by Reuters, the US ans the EU will impose more sanctions on Russia and its close allies: Serbia and Kazakhstan.