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The State Duma – Russia’s lower house of parliament – approved the annexation of four Ukrainian territories after a referendum, in what the US and other Western countries see as a “scam”. Under the new treaty, they officially approved the annexation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.
Amid Russia’s ongoing incursion into Ukraine, referendums in four regions of Ukraine have sparked much controversy. While the Kremlin claims that the overwhelming majority voted to join Russia, this claim has been completely dismissed by the West.
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On Monday, the Duma unanimously passed the bill on the proposed merger.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who presented the bill to parliament, told local media: “This process is a logical continuation of the unification of Russian land, which started in 2014 between the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopo. The city of Seoul will return to Russia,” according to Reuters.
“The Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions will retain their names as new territories of the Russian Federation,” the authorities said in the Duma.
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In addition to keeping their names, the Russian parliament has approved Russian as the official language of the region, and they will also use the ruble as the official currency.
The Federation Council – Russia’s upper house of the Senate or parliament – will vote on annexation on Tuesday. Ukraine, however, challenged the entire process, as they pointed out that the four regions are not currently under the control of Russian forces.
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