-
EU to make Russia pay ‘hefty price’ for annexation, Zelensky warns of harsh response

An EU official said on Thursday (Sep 29), the European Union is ready to make the Kremlin pay a "hefty price" for the latest escalation of the conflict in Ukraine by announcing the annexation of four regions.
Early Thursday (Sep 29), Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin will hold a signing ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday (Sep 30) to add four territories of Ukraine into Russia.
Following the signing ceremonies in the Kremlin, Putin will give a major speech and will meet with Moscow-appointed administrators of the Ukrainian regions, the Kremlin said.
The European Union "will not accept these sham referendums organized by Russia in Ukraine and will never accept any annexation of territory or any land by Russia," Dana Spinant, the European Commission's deputy chief spokesperson, told a daily news briefing.
Referring to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's recent announcement on the bloc's eighth sanctions package against Russia, she asserted that the EU is "ready to make the Kremlin (pay) a hefty price for this new escalation."

Kharkiv. Saltivka. A large and peaceful residential area. It was like that until Russia came. But no missile will bring the terrorist state closer to its goal. Instead, each missile brings Russia closer to international isolation, economic degradation, and historical condemnation - Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa - Ukraine government official Twitter account
The EU also asked UN nations to follow its example and not recognize this "illegal" annexation, "as Russia is stepping up from its escalation to actually grabbing territories from Ukraine," added Peter Stano, lead spokesperson on foreign affairs.
President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a new warning to Russia of a "very harsh" response by Ukraine if Moscow annexes four Ukrainian regions following what Kyiv and the West say were sham referendums held by Russia at gunpoint.
Russia to annex four occupied Ukraine regions on Friday, Putin to attencd ceremony
A statement issued by Zelensky's office after a telephone call with Italy's prime minister did not refer to a ceremony on Friday in which President Vladimir Putin will sign documents proclaiming Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
"They (the votes) are worthless and do not change reality. The territorial integrity of Ukraine will be restored. And our reaction to recognition of the results by Russia will be very harsh," Zelensky said.
It was not immediately clear whether Zelensky spoke to Prime Minister Mario Draghi before or after the Kremlin announced Friday's ceremony, according to Reuters.
Kazakhstan says it won’t recognize referendums in eastern Ukraine
The annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine began on Friday September 23, and it ended on Tuesday September 27.
The hastly arranged votes were conducted in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
levantnews-agencies
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!