The official signing ceremony uniting four new territories with Russia will be held on Friday, September 30, at 3 p.m. in the Kremlin, Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Tomorrow, at the Grand Kremlin Palace, in St. George's Hall, at 3:00 p.m. the ceremony of signing the agreements for the new territories to join the Russian Federation will take place," Peskov stated. "President Putin will deliver a voluminous speech at this event. This is not the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly, it is very important not to confuse [these two speeches]," he stressed. "This is a different format, the president's address will take place later, we will inform you about it in due time," Peskov pledged.
He specified that at the Kremlin ceremony, the four new territories will officially become part of Russia. "All four, all territories that held referendums and requested the Russian side do so [to join]," the spokesman explained.
He added that Putin will meet with the heads of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions in the Kremlin, on the event’s sidelines. "Of course, on the sidelines of this ceremony these meetings will take place," Peskov assured.
The treaties uniting the territories with the Russian Federation will be signed before the Federation Council considers related issues. "In any case, there will be a signing first," Peskov pointed out, responding to a question about why the event was scheduled for September 30 and the Federation Council meeting only for October 4.
Referendums on becoming part of Russia were held in the DPR and the LPR, as well as in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions from September 23 to 27. In the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the ballot question read as follows: "Are you in favor of the region leaving Ukraine, creating an independent state, and joining the Russian Federation?" Earlier, Putin said that Moscow would support the decision made during these referendums.
