Censure and sanctions: how Europe and the world reacted to Russia annexing Ukrainian territory
Sanctions, censure and condemnation: Ukraine and its Western allies reacted decisively to Vladimir Putin's move to illegally annex four occupied regions of eastern Ukraine on Friday, amid a chorus of criticism from around the world.
Russia's Baltic neighbour Estonia said it "will never recognise" the results of the referendums, adding that "irresponsible threats against the West will not deter Western countries from supporting Ukraine until Russia has lost the war."
Another neighbour, Finland, which has the EU's longest border with Russia also strongly condemned Putin's annexation of Ukrainian territory saying the referendums "don't change the map."
"Ukraine’s sovereignty and territory is indivisible and inviolable. Finland will not recognise the results of the illegal referenda or annexations," said President Sauli Niinistö.
French President Emmanuel Macron said his country would "continue to stand alongside Ukraine to confront Russian aggression and allow Ukraine to recover its full sovereignty over all of its territory;" while
Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde said "We do not and will never recognise the illegal 'referenda' that Russia has engineered" after a joint press conference with the Nordic nation's prime minister and defence minister.
Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra described Russia's illegal annexation as "utterly unacceptable" and said that there was "no place for this type of violent imperialism in the 21st century."
And new British Prime Minister Liz Truss said "Vladimir Putin is once again violating international law with his threats to annex more of Ukraine."
The European Union External Action Service branded the Russian move as "bluster and hollow propaganda," while NATO Secretary General Jens
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