Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions that make up nearly a fifth of the whole country’s territory. Earlier this week, the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson voted overwhelmingly to formally join the Russian federation. But the referendum was denounced by most of the west, with allegations that residents had been pressured to approve Russia's annexation. Türkiye, which has been mediating between Kiev and Moscow, has called for dialogue and diplomacy to settle this latest crisis and the overall conflict. So what impact will the referendum and annexation have?

Guests:

Amanda Paul

Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre

Andreas Umland

Analyst at Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies