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Vladimir Putin has taken another irreversible step. On Friday he will sign treaties annexing four Ukrainian regions. The strategy is no surprise given his history of occupying and claiming for Russia territory that does not belong to it. Arguably, this was set in motion as soon as it became clear – days after the February invasion – that his plans to swiftly topple the Ukrainian government had failed. It became more likely once it was evident that Russia was faring badly on both military and diplomatic fronts, and that domestic discontent was stirring. Certainly, it was clear it would happen once the sham referendums were rushed through, with up to 99.2% of voters in these regions supposedly choosing to join Russia, and accounts of officials arriving at Ukrainians’ homes and telling them to cast their ballot in front of armed Russian soldiers. But the move is no less wrong or dangerous for its predictability.
True, there was little prospect of talks, but this decision has effectively barred the way to them. The land amounts to about 15% of Ukraine and includes about 4 million people.
