State Duma deputies invited to Kremlin for annexation ‘ceremony’ on Sept. 30

State Duma deputies were invited to the to the Kremlin for a 3 p.m. special event on Sept. 30. The presence of President Vladimir Putin is expected at the event, wrote Duma Deputy Denis Parfenov on Telegram.

The presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that, at 3 p.m. on Sept. 30, the ceremony of “joining Russia” will be held for the self-proclaimed “DNR” and “LNR,” as well as the Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. An extended speech by Putin is expected, according to Peskov.

On Sept. 23–27, Russian-staged “referendums on joining Russia” were held in the self-proclaimed “DNR” and “LNR,” as well as the Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

According to the supposed results of these “referendums,” announced by the end of Sept. 27, all these regions were near-unanimous in their desire to join Russia. Based on the “ballot count” in Zaporizhzhia, 93.11 percent of the votes were, it was claimed, in favor of joining Russia. Also in favor were, reportedly, the occupied Kherson region (87.05 percent) and the self-proclaimed “DNR” (99.23 percent) and “LNR” (98.42 percent).

Following the Russian federal law “On the order of acceptance into the Russian Federation,” a certain procedure now has to be observed, to mediate the Russian annexation of these territories.

First, Russia must recognize the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions as independent states (the way it had previously recognized the “DNR” and “LNR” as independent). Next, President Vladimir Putin will sign “international treaties” with those occupied territories. Those documents will be examined by the Russian federal Constitutional Court, and will also have to be approved by Russia’s parliament. Finally, Putin himself must sign the annexation resolutions.

It had been previously reported by TASS that its source in the State Duma expected this lower parliamentary chamber to pass laws connected to the annexation on Sept. 29. The same source projected that on Sept. 30, an annexation “procedure” would take place. Later, new information emerged, that the annexation would only be considered by the Russian parliament next week. The Federal Council would meet for this purpose on Oct. 4; the State Duma’s meeting was slated for Oct. 3. These plans appear to be in flux.

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