The lower house of parliament backed the documents after President Vladimir Putin introduced the bill
Monitors with voting results at an unscheduled plenary session of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. © Sputnik/Grigory Sysoev
The State Duma has ratified the treaties on the accession of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, to Russia.
President Vladimir Putin submitted the documents regarding the four former Ukrainian territories to the parliament on Sunday. All four voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining Russia in referendums held between September 23 and 27.
The accession treaties, which were signed by Putin on Friday, were then approved by the Russian Constitutional Court.
READ MORE:
Long way home: How Ukraine lost control of regions that returned to Russia
The next step in the accession process is ratification by the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
