Vladimir Putin signed “accession treaties" to illegally annex occupied Ukrainian territory in a sharp escalation of his war - before taking centre stage in Moscow's Red Square.
At an organised concert in Russia's capital, the Russian president was joined by other Russian leaders who all sang the national anthem before addressing crowds.
"Russia does not only open the door to our brothers and sisters but it also opens its heart to them. Welcome home," Putin said.
He made use of his short speech to double down on previous claims made by him to justify the invasion of Ukraine. It comes after the president vowed to annex parts of Ukraine after hosting a series of sham referendums.
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