Excerpts from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address at the signing of the agreements on admission of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions to Russia:

✅ The referendums have concluded and their results are well-known. The people have made their choice. Their decisive decision.

📜 Undoubtedly, it is their unalienable right, which is enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter – “the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples”.

✊🏻 There’s nothing more powerful than determination of millions of people, who share the same culture, religion, traditions and language to consider themselves a part of Russia. Whose ancestors lived in a unified state for centuries.

🔙 There’s nothing more powerful that the decision of these people to return to their true homeland.  

🇷🇺 People who live in Lugansk and Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporozhye are becoming our citizens.

❗️ Forever.