years in contravention of every single piece of international law and understanding and in many ways the occupation of northern cypress has set the example for a number of every dentist activities by russia, by other countries are occupied territories of other sovereign nations. yeah, it's really fascinating commentary that does deserve more time than what we have right now. john city ladies are geo political strategist joining us to live on our team and national, appreciate it. thanks for the chat. thank you. let's get back to our top story for you here on off the international. so good to have with us today. as you may or may not know, vladimir putin has signed a decree that will begin the process of accession of the, for new regions to the russian federation, enabling their residents to become that of russian citizens. he said the russian military will for ever defend these regions. i want everyone to remember that people who leave been gone. that's going to look at, can her son ends up now they become our citizens for ever. i truly historic dave,

why my point has just now signed the treaties that officially make they don't boss . republics of la guns can don't ask, as well as the 2 regions of care so on ends. the priority of part of russia officially. they are russian regions. now, before the signing was reporting gave a very emotional speech, he talked a lot about the people of these regions who feel connected to russia and by their language and their culture by their traditions and mentality, by hearts and minds. and now they are russians, citizens forever, blackberry potent said, as that was there will, the will of millions of people watching report and said he was talking about 5 day referendums that were held in all these 4 areas. recently that showed that the absolute majority of the people there, those who cast their ballots. i have to say sometimes and very often risking their

lives and go into the polling stations on the shelling one to be with russia. they voted in favor of joining the world's biggest country in his speech today before the signing why report and called again and again on key of to come back to negotiations. you get as you need me and we appealed to the key, presumed to seize fire immediately. all the has still the war bed with a she just started back in 2014 and to go back and have been a go stations table because we are ready to do that. and we have that bad and on many occasions, by the choice of the people of john, that's lou ganz is approaching her. so we are not going to discuss that. you had a choice was made and roger will not for free that choice. russia believes a as a stay in line with the un charlton. why my poor read to write it again today. and especially particularly it's part where it stays the right to self

determination. and why my porton was talking a lot about it. and his speech earlier on friday that russia will never leave according to someone else's rules that got to it. if you choose, the west can cross all the lines to preserve that neo colonial system that allows them to remain a per, reside, basically to blunder the world. using the dictate of their technology and dollar, it is critical for them to see all the countries abandoned their sovereignty for the benefit of the united states. this is a truly historic moment for them, and we expect celebrations all across these 4 russian regions later on friday to celebrate and to greet these new members to russia's big family. all right, let's discuss that today's top story now with michael maloof,

a former senior security analyst with the us secretary of defense. great to see you today. michael. thanks for joining us with special coverage on the international you know, as the, as the don bath republics and the 2 former ukrainian regions and now essentially russian territory. although the documents have to go through a few different branches or judicial branches and legislature, but it's just about that. what would you expect now from kiev? you think, you think it could change its military activity, maybe reduce the shelling of these regions? well, what do you think the immediate short term holds for the people in the part of the world? well, i think that if keith does not change, it's showing practice against those regions. mr. put in is going to escalate very, very dramatically. and that might be precisely the message is sending without saying, so, you know, i think the, the fact that he rushed to do this was, it was a signal that he will not any longer tolerate this kind of activity by key. and

that it would, it could become a way to widen the war throughout all of ukraine beyond these regions, if, if he does not stop, stop the showing. now, now moscow is not under complete control of all those areas. so that can be problematic. they're going to have to do that and, and bring those areas completely under control. and i think that that can be probably be done very rapidly. good at the showing continues, then that will be considered upon the russian federation. and that can bring other additional consequences, and that's what i think we're all holding our breath about because that can be very concerning. yeah, i think absolutely right. there is a genuinely palpable sense of concern, not just here in moscow. i think all around many parts of the world right now, michael, i'm hearing messages from friends and family from many parts involved and they're all really concerned as to what the next step will be. so let's talk about what the

next step will be. michael, you mentioned that of a what, what could be a further escalation if it be the shelling you showing continues on what will be russian territory. you talk about a possible why the war and ukraine, a lot of people and all sorts of analysts saying what could be the next step, open escalation over to michael, what could be the next step? the next step could be the actual bombing of decision making sites. command control enhancing the, the attacks on the avenues through which the logistics come through from the west. this, this could be and i think that moscow has all the, has the time on it's on its side, frankly, on the, on this because us cannot continue to can to, to continue these supplying activities indefinitely without increasing production

at home and, and we're already back filling a lot of the nato allies, so that creates further decision making. that has to be made here. and nato is really relying, notwithstanding what stolen burke has stated, who's the head of nato. it, there's just so much that they have and they're relying on the united states because the given the energy concerns now that exist in the west, i doubt seriously that you industry could mount a major production undertaking given their energy situation right now. at some point, there's going to have to be some letting up and by, by the west, or, or talk to the lensky very, very seriously. tell them we can't do. go beyond what we're already doing right now . mike, what about? what about just the recent active,

sabotaged that just about everyone's calling it now that of the to north stream pipelines investigation is well underway. i know. i know, you know, the story that the former polish defense minister was that he came out with a tweet, thanking america for blowing up the pipelines. of course, washington immediately says, hey, it was not buddy. you know, we got nothing to do with that. of course, america really is there any country to benefit from something like this, but it's really wiring as well because if you think about it, they were, i heard a lot of rumors, myself personally, that sholtes in germany was getting ready to do some sort of negotiations with russia, i heard some interesting reports about that. now that's just being blown out of the water. he's got no legs to stand on now because somebody took out the nor stream pipelines. what, what, what do you thing, who's behind this? what's, what's the story that michael well, by deduction and by comments made by president biden in early february, as my friend scott ritter pointed out this,

that pretty well tells the tale. who might have been engaged? i think we are going to have, they would have had to have been very big explosions. it would have had been a, a, a nation state of sometime that had that capability to do to do that kind of activity. and i, i don't think it would have been ukraine or as off, but who knows that do they have that capability that has to be assessed? i don't know. but my, you know, if you do know sort of jump in quickly, but you do know the person has a tendency in recent years of something like tit for tat. you expel our bathroom, we expel your ambassador. i mean, is on many, many levels of that. it goes tit for tat. is it possible that could be some sort of tip a top play in response to the sabotage of the military and pipelines? well, it could be, it could be the just the enhancement of a, of activity in ukraine. that's what i envision immediately. i don't think he'll do anything toward the nato countries,

per se. and of course it's going to draw him much closer to the east. you'll be looking eastward more carefully and pursuing that more vigorously. he is all but cut off all ties to the west. i. i heard the same thing you did that shows wanted to negotiate something and who could better preclude that than united states? so it and given, given by these comments back to february or that's very, very serious. but michael want me to the ok. i get the comments about buys and nothing. victoria newland also had something similar as well. and you know, this benz has been going on for months in washington, but it's certainly very concerning. some players i guess, willing to up the see just like that. i mean, you go back to the assassination of what your prince ferdinand, you know, i mean, world war one kicked off on some would say even even even less measures what we're

seeing right now, is there a flash points all around the world at the moment? michael, before i let you go, we know that the head of nato you installed in book. he's going to be holding a special press conference today. any idea what he's going to talk about? what he's going to say, it's not their fault. he's going to say that the probably that the nato is very concerned about the blowing it up. he's going to blame the russians and that they're going to be ready. he's already talking to logistical people. and i might, i might, i might say that victoria new one, by the way, is one of the instigators of all of this. she's, she's been pushing, pushing this and pushing bite and even into this thing. and, and because buyer wants to be the leader of nato, he's gone along and nato is gone along with it. and it's actually brief new life and the existence of nato they've, they've refined rediscovered themselves. and as a consequence, they're going to be marching on. and of course, they're not gonna take any blame for trying to contain russia by, by advancing the way that they have over 7 or 8 times in the last number of years.

so it's, it's, it's a stand off and to get to your point mr. prudent does not bluff. and he has made that very clear. and after you gave those warnings in december to washington, and they approved them. and then the believing he had to act because of how he felt about the security of the federation. michael maloof, a former senior security policy analyst in the office of the u. s. a secretary of defense. i always enjoyed the opportunity to pick your brain. michael, thanks very much for that. thank. thank you. let's get more now about, well, people's comment emotions, for example, in her song on those apple, roger regions. that's cross live now to our senior correspondent anyhow, so on. there is ortiz, we're at gaz. the good to see you today on this very special day and are rolling coverage here at see what is there or is there a mood that you can send now where you are offered? this is the, the unification. documents was signed by the russian president. mother's

absolutely no one in the streets during vladimir putin's speech immediately after the end of his speech during the applause that we heard. at the end of that speech, people began honking their horns. we heard people shouting out of their window, certainly a lot of joy but, but i must say it is muted this morning. there were several rallies, but those were were quickly dispersed. those were in support of joining russia. people waving russian flags but dispersed again for security reasons. here san is a hot spot. there have been multiple strikes to day aimed at the city high mas missiles supplied by the united states, launched by the ukrainian military today. the 1st deputy of the head, i've said son, i his, he, 2nd in command, i missed the sized o vladimir salvo saga was next to vladimir putin during that speech at the end of

his deputy was here. he was killed earlier this morning by a strike, a ukrainian military strike. there is now an alert across the province. it is believed that ukraine will launch more munitions, that there will be attacks on the city vengeance perhaps. perhaps targeted strikes and people are being warned. laura congregated in big crowds to tell a void, ah, to avoid, we were told to avoid standing. we're all working close to offices to administration offices to the civil military administration. that is currently in power here in capsule province. i mean, we saw what ukrainian strikes alike 1st hand just less than a week ago. the ukranian missile impacted our hotel. thankfully, over most of the 3rd floor which we are staying on was erased. we managed to get

out alive, but the strike was aimed at a civilian activist who had nothing to do with the military or the conduct of military operations. as a former ukrainian parliamentary, who changed sides and who was killed by ukraine for what he did for supporting rush . and many people here have worked with russia, have embraced russia in the, in the early days of this conflict. they believe that they are now targets of the course. the months that have followed the majority of the population. as thou changed allegiance is accepted. russia. they all feel that they are a threat of these continued strikes. there is hope there is optimism that now that your san province is finally about to be part of russia. technically, it is already years de facto, but technically at low but to the russian military might many more avenues for the defense of its people. they look

a lot of many people have been talking about nuclear weapons, tactical nuclear weapons. russia has a lot more. i add in its arsenal than the nuclear weapons there are thermo blaring munitions. you may remember the united states dropped the mother of all bombs, philip thermal barrack munition, and it has got to start when russia has. it's twit, the father of all bomb ration. aviation has been all but absent in this conflict. there are certainly many avenue, if moscow, what a wish to do so to escalate the situation to lever more weaponry, advanced weapon, destructive weaponry in this conflict to now protect your soul, which is now part of the russian federation in all but name i think you raise some pretty, some pretty valid point sam or i, when you talk about, you know, all this, her, some michael hysteria. the certainly the western press of putin is getting ready to use nuclear weapons. says that and the other i, i think it's good of you to bring about the idea that that's just not the main

trump card that, that russia has these days and, and, and put in is known for keeping as cards very close to his chest. and so for the most part, no one really knows what russia has, but i dare say it's, but all sorts of horrible surprises you mentioned though, you mentioned that out that, you know, there be concerns about an escalation and violence in that part of the world, right now and i know the referendum wrapped up a few days ago, but we, in moscow we were all talking about the reports. we had seen that ukrainian forces were really going to up the ante and start shelling these republics in that part of east in ukraine. have you seen russian fought is coming in to set up some sort of stronger defense mechanism for possibly expected increases escalations and shelling . hey look with the front lines here in care of san province are very stable. ukraine has lost thousands upon thousands of troops over the past month, trying to assault the front lines, the russian defensive formations on the periphery of here on region,

pretty much the entire administrative area border of the, of the province of the region. now, a russian region is under russian control. the situation here had been stable, much more stable than on the hike of front watch, which is where you can achieved a measure of success here in cal san province. they have been unable to do so in the get thousands upon thousands, we've seen the videos of convoys of the short ukrainian vehicles. hundreds of soldiers, dead, lying in the fields are the result of failed attacks by you, craig. they, they haven't stopped several prisoners taken here, but what one of them told one of them said, you know, 3 days ago i was in the wall on the other side of ukraine. i was a plummer. i was on my way to work. i was grabbed by by the military who said either i either i'm drafted now i agree to sign the papers or all of my property is confiscated. one of my properties confiscated my relatives, lose their jobs,

and i'll be sent to the frontlines anyway. and this year this is the situation here many of the. 2 of the troops and the ukrainian side, the last place they want to be is charging. i add russian positions, but they have no choice. they have no choice. as i say that the situation on the front line here in camps on it is much more stable or is very little chance that you claim will achieve a breakthrough here. but there is ultimately very little to defend against artillery shelling for example, and get some provinces. unfortunately, within the longer range artillery. there is, of course, the, the endless salvo of american high mas missiles that have been heating, blasting or at the city at the suburbs. there is, you know, many of them are knocked down the majority. we are told by the military. but ultimately it's the ones that breach and impact the news is about. there's very

little news about the destruction that isn't cause as a result of a strike. so certainly the situation is dependent developing. it all depends on how many more weapons and missiles the united states is prepared to give the great knowing full well the those shells, those rockets are going to be launched that civilian targets like our hotel. that wasn't the soldier anywhere near there, which is why we picked that hotel. but they launched a michelle strike, an american high must miss out strike adding that to this. and that is increasingly what is happening here in can sought and not only and keeps on and look, gods can yet skins up at o g, where they are targeting military objects, military sites, but rather civilians are people who work for civil administrations and civilian infrastructure to terrify the population and that's how has been out for 8 and a half years, not ad gazda, of our senior correspondent,

the people of those regions, hoping for a bit of a while that of a peaceful bit of a prosperous future, perhaps in the cars after today's historic signing of those documents here in the halls of the kremlin moderate. i'll speak to you soon. now the european union is preparing to implement an 8th round of sanctions against russia. what else do they have left a sanction? well, i guess they're going to be opposing tighter trade restrictions, however, with some of the pass measures ultimately boomerang and really hurting some of the companies in the u. brussels has actually been forced to back track on summer was early decisions or his some thoughts and opinions without a contributor, rachel marston. hey, you know what? they say 8 times a charm. they sanctions were actual divorces, and not just g o economic or geopolitical break ups than the european union would be hollywood legend. elizabeth taylor, if she had divorced any single one of her ex husband's 8 times. and i guess that

makes russia richard burton then, because brussels has just announced that it's breaking up with russia yet again with an 8th sanctions package. and the u bras says that it's really going to make moscow pay the price this time, which frankly would be a nice change from previous sanctions. packages which have mostly just made europeans pay the price. so today, we're together proposing a new package of biting sanctions against russia. so what's going to be the game changer this time around? well, these new measures are set to ban russian toilet paper and other hygiene products from being imported to the e. u. russia has the natural resources that the you largely lacks to make such things which are particularity important right now, in light of german toilet paper, manufacturing giant haggle, declaring bankruptcy as high energy costs start taking their toll on european

manufacturing. so europeans who have been encouraged to shower with like 3 drops of water to save energy because the big brains and brussels cut off the supply despite russia may now have to cas whatever's left of their basic hygiene overboard for keith to how many squares of toilet paper per use are required to stick it to vladimir putin according to the u. all they might be about to tell us. previous you sanctions have worked so well that they've had to constantly backtrack on them to save themselves and their allies from total strangulation at their own hands. in july, for example, brussels amended sanctions against russian banks to allow for food trade, east sanctions on russian companies, selling oil to certain countries. and on the provision of insurance for russian aircraft and sea vessels and their components, which are critical part of the global supply chain. the u. k. did pretty much the same thing the following month. brussels backtracked on russian coal sanctions just a few days ago to avoid harming its own energy security even more than it already

has. next up, reportedly backing off on russian fertilizer and cement sanctions. but you never know it from listing to you. commission president ursula vander line, and i want to make it very clear. the sanctions are here to stay just a little more effort. and maybe they can actually find a buzzword to wriggle out of the sanctions they imposed on their own energy supply . but it's all about the principle of denying russia revenues to pursue its interests in ukraine, right? if that's the case, then why have e u and us imports of russian metals from aluminum to nickel surged over 20 percent in some cases over the past year. the sanctions don't really seem to be hitting their stated target, but at least maybe europeans can find comfort in the notion that as the winter energy crunch sets in, they can wrap up their metabolism and stay warm by laughing at the seemingly

endless e u. clown show just don't laugh to tears though, as it risks wasting tissues. all right, appreciate joining us here for our special coverage live from moscow and auntie international. it was about of 4550 minutes ago, the russian president vladimir putin did sign the accession documents for, for former republics, and even ukraine to officially become a part of the russian federation. we continue our special coverage for you in just a moment. ah ah, wasn't it was a year, but if i give it a shot shorter one and i'm not trying to stay like a

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everyone to remember that those who live in demand school again from his own ends that rose. yeah. now they become us citizen divided by putting gives a passionate speech during the ceremony, beginning the accession of the 2 don bath republics and the dappled all heat on the part of song group made time $23.00 people killed and dozens of others wounded as a column of civilian vehicles moving towards russian control territory in the zap, audrey region comes under heavy fire. local officials say the attack was conducted by ukraine. damage to the north stream gas pipelines appear to being caused by direct attacks from western powers. that is the message from the russian president

vladimir putin who accused the west.