Louis de Raguenel 6:56 p.m., September 30, 2022, modified at 7:25 p.m., September 30, 2022

Russian leader Vladimir Putin gave a speech on Friday officially announcing the annexation of four Ukrainian regions to Russia.

More than a simple speech, this last speech by the master of the Kremlin marks a new tipping point in the war and gives it another dimension. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his speech on Friday to the country's political elite, gathered in the Kremlin, devoted to the annexation of four regions of Ukraine following "referendums" widely denounced by kyiv and its Western allies.

This speech represents the most important change in the war since the beginning of the conflict.

A total break in doctrine

From now on, the Russian president considers the four new regions annexed to the east of Ukraine as Russian territories.

This extension represents nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Vladimir Putin has also warned that he will defend his regions, which means that any attempt by the Ukrainian army to reconquer these four annexed territories will be considered by the head of the Kremlin as a declaration of war on Russia.

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These new data could justify a total break in doctrine, that is to say the switch from what Vladimir Putin calls a "special operation" to a real war.

The semantics are crucial because unlike the French army, for example, nuclear weapons are part of conventional warfare doctrine in Russia.

This means that from now on, Vladimir Putin will no longer have any brakes on using nuclear power in the conflict.