In the last hours, there have been international reactions to Russian President Vladimir Putin's signing of the annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions to his country.
Reactions came from powerful countries, entities and powerful blocs, while India's position was surprising in American and Western circles.
Putin's signature came days after these regions held referendums that the participants overwhelmingly chose to join Moscow, while Kyiv and the West describe these referendums as false and without legal value.
And this concerns the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson.
to NATO
Minutes after signing the annexation document, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country had submitted an application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) under accelerated procedures.
"Indeed, we have already made our way to NATO. We have proven our compliance with the alliance's standards," Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.
"This is becoming a reality for Ukraine on the battlefield and in all aspects of our cooperation with NATO," he added.
No fear of Putin
Commenting on the Russian decision, US President Joe Biden said, during a speech at the White House, that his country and its allies will not be afraid of Putin and his threats.
He explained that the Russians will continue the march, but we will also continue to provide military equipment so that Ukraine can defend itself and its territory.
The US President stressed that Putin cannot seize the lands of his neighbors with impunity.
On Friday, the US administration imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian individuals and institutions, including the head of the Central Bank, against the backdrop of Moscow's annexation of Ukrainian regions.
"Today, the United States condemns Russia's fraudulent attempt to annex the sovereign territory of Ukraine," Biden said in a statement.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the United States would never recognize any of the Kremlin's claims to sovereignty over parts of Ukraine it seized by force and now claims to be incorporated into Russia.
He added that these areas are Ukrainian and will remain so, and Ukraine has every right to defend its people and restore its lands seized by Russia.
British sanctions
In this context, the United Kingdom summoned the Russian ambassador in London Andrei Kelin, to protest against Moscow's decision to annex 4 Ukrainian regions, and imposed new sanctions on them.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, in a tweet, that he had summoned the Russian ambassador in London, to protest against the illegal annexation decision.
"I summoned the Russian ambassador, Andrei Kelin, to protest in the strongest terms the announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin of the illegal annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory," the tweet read.
The British Foreign Office for Commonwealth Affairs and Development said in a statement that London has imposed new sanctions on Moscow that include preventing Russia from accessing key Western services it depends on, including information technology consulting, architectural and engineering services, and legal advisory services for certain commercial activities.
The sanctions also include the United Kingdom's ban on the export of about 700 goods essential to Russia's industrial and technological capabilities, according to the statement.
won't admit
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would never recognize Russia's annexation of Ukrainian regions.
He stressed in a press conference at NATO headquarters in the Belgian capital, Brussels, that Russia's annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions is illegal, describing it as the largest forced annexation attempt on European soil since World War II.
invalid decision
For its part, the European Union strongly rejected Russia's illegal annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions.
In a joint statement, the 27 member states of the European Union said Russia was endangering global security.
The statement stressed that Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye are Ukrainian regions.
He added that these decisions are invalid, and can not result in any legal effect whatsoever.
mass condemnation
And the Group of Seven industrialized countries announced that they would never recognize the alleged annexations carried out by Russia against Ukrainian lands.
"We unanimously condemn Russia's aggressive war and the continued violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence," the group said in a statement.
The statement added that the G7 countries will never recognize Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye.
keep pressing
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Putin could not change borders with the stroke of a pen.
He added that the Netherlands would never accept Russia's occupation of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Ukraine's Zaporizhia, as it did in the Crimea, as he put it.
He explained that the West will continue to pressure in all possible ways to stop the Russian president's war machine, stressing its support for the European sanctions package against Moscow.
Israeli position
For its part, Israel also announced its non-recognition of Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian provinces, as its Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"We have confirmed this position several times in recent days," she added.
frustrating situation
At the United Nations, America pressed for a Security Council resolution condemning the annexation and demanding Russia's withdrawal from the occupied territories, which was, of course, rejected by Russia.
Four countries abstained, including Brazil, China and Gabon.
Even more disappointing for the West was India's abstention.
India has called for an immediate cease-fire and respect for the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations", but has not uttered a word critical of the Russian annexation.